Stace Don

Growing up was challenging, and it was the reality of what I'd been through and everything like that, so it's not been the easiest, but...

She's mine, do you know what I mean?

I give birth to her, I'm her mum.

And that's what frustrates me with some of the trolls because on some of the posts, even recently, they turn around and say, oh, so he's the dad and the granddad and you're the sister.

But what automatically makes him the dad and the granddad?

Because he hasn't been there, he hasn't picked her up, he didn't do the school runs, he didn't love her, he didn't care for her.

A dad isn't just a title, do you know?

You have to...

give that child something to earn that title but I'm a sister even though I give birth to her I've given a protective home I've saved her I've given her stability routine and love like and I'm literally trying to justify myself being a mum to my daughter that I've raised who's 18 years old who wants to speak out as well over him just being given the dad and grandad title you know a lot of people use the phrase everything happens for a reason have you do you adopt that philosophy yeah so do you think this happened for a reason

Yeah, I don't know what reason, but I do believe like...

Even if it's just for me to stand up and show awareness and speak out, you know, since doing my blog and speaking out, like, that's become my purpose and I kind of find the strength and the self-worth in myself once, like, I feel like I've done something good for other people and not someone else, you know, because I don't ever want anyone to feel so lonely how I felt.

Like, 14 years I was shut behind closed doors trying to be a mum in a world that I just didn't know what was what, observing other people, trying to learn normality, you know,

You know, and it's just, as it's been difficult, I just don't want anyone to feel the pain that I felt and just be a person for people that I needed.

Yeah.

Trust issues, yeah.

So I have relationships.

So I moved to Northern Ireland to get married, but that relationship broke down, you know, unfortunately.

Just not everything lasts forever, you know.

But, yeah, I do have trust issues and I have a lot of self-doubt in myself.

Like, I don't have no confidence.