Kelly Jean Torres, musician, singer-songwriter, and mother, has written a memoir on her life as a foster child adoptee and where she is now in her new book Saving the Lost Girl: A Memoir of Healing.
Within these pages, Torres explores her life as a foster child and adoptee who went through trauma and abuse. The story highlights why working through pain is essential and healing to the soul and one’s future. The goal of her story, shared with others, is to encourage and inspire those who may also have fallen victim to pain in this way. Torres has invested in herself and her future life by “untangling the pain” from her past.
Torres was separated from her birth mother at 10 months old. She and her sisters were placed in foster care and were then adopted later by the same foster family despite common knowledge that the foster parents were abusing them. Torres’s biological family could not care for her or her siblings because of mental illness and addiction. The separation from Torres’ birth mother and extended biological family created developmental trauma leading to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Torres also has a younger brother who was placed with a different family. Later in life, Torres was able to reach out to her biological family.
Through the hard times, Torres relied upon music to soothe and heal herself. She loves to sing and write music as well as poems. She moved to Nashville from Chicago in 2012 to pursue her musical dreams.
Now Torres has a family of her own: her husband, daughter, son, and a yellow lab named Butter. She is happy with where she is. She has saved herself from her past, investing in her future, her family, and her dreams. She is proud of herself for being a good mother and “maintaining stability after so much chaos.”
Torres shows through her example that no matter how much pain we go through, we are resilient and brave. We can continue to move forward and heal.
As a voice for healing, Torres hopes for change in the process of adoption and fostering. Fostering and adoption should be child-centered and not so much parent-focused, with the child’s needs being paramount. Torres believes continuing education in trauma-informed care for foster and adoptive parents should be mandatory.
This book will be available April 15th. It can be found at Landmark Booksellers in downtown Franklin, Amazon, Barnes and Noble online, and Books a Million online.
“People should read no matter what walk of life because reading stories different than ours [creates] empathy and compassion,” said Torres.
In the future, Torres hopes to write more and continue her music.
Invest in Yourself by:
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Improving your strengths and weaknesses
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Learning something new
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Finding a Life Coach or Mentor
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Getting rid of guilt
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Traveling
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Bringing the positive vibes
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Listening to critics
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Pursuing your dreams
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Rewarding yourself