She had hopes and dreams.

She had family.

She had friends.

One vulnerable moment,

and it changed her life forever.

Next thing she knew,

she was somewhere, someplace,

surrounded by strangers.

Bruised and battered,

she was forced into sex acts,

forced into labor.

She was treated as if she was an object;

she was treated no better than dirt.

These strangers wanted nothing but cheap money.

Their greed got the best of them.

They were willing to ruin as many lives as possible,

just to get what they wanted.

She cries in silence every night,

along with millions of others just like her.

Millions of innocent adults and children,

whose lives were taken away from them.

Whose hopes and dreams were shattered into millions of pieces.

They hope for some refuge;

they desperately wish for someone to save them.

Human trafficking.

A serious matter that is not heard enough.

We cannot overlook them.

We have to help them,

in some way or another.

We have to get their lives back.