Angie Cox is a Woman on Fire with Purpose.
As Mother Teresa once said “We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty.” Angie Cox knew well how it felt to be unloved. Far too well.
Born in a prison in London to parents who were heroin addicts, Angie and her twin brother, David were adopted as foster children when they were 5 months old. Their foster family, however, not only deprived Angie and David with love and care, but also abused the them physically, mentally, and sexually.
She described living with her foster family as living “face to face with the devil.” In her memoir “Surviving the Devil,” Angie recalled the one time when her foster mother told her to go to the garden to feed her rabbits. When Angie went to the garden, she found that her foster mother had chopped off the heads of her rabbits. Her foster mother laughed at her and said “I told you I would get you.”
At
age 14, Angie and David were finally able to break free from their foster family; however, it came at a great cost. Angie was raped by a group of boys in her neighborhood and after that, the court finally took notice of their case. They were placed to live at their grandmother’s place where they soon fled because their step grandfather would take advantage of Angie. After that, they lived on the streets for several years until she left London and resettled in the U.S.
Even though Angie was finally free from her abusers, the traumas never left her. She would have nightmares at night and get panic attacks when people yell at her. However, Angie decided that instead of letting her abusers ruin the rest of her life, she would create a joyful and meaningful life for herself.
In 2014, she founded No Child Unloved (NCUL), a non-profit organization aimed at enabling children to enjoy their childhood. NCUL does this by reaching out to communities where abused, unloved, and underprivileged children are present and provides them with teddy bears, birthday celebrations, and one-on-one quality time to make them feel loved. NCUL is a safe house for abused children and their family members to recover, seek counseling, and get back on their feet.
Angie also became a motivational speaker to let other victims of abuse know that their life does not have to end due to abuse. Not many people understand how childhood trauma can haunt a person for the rest of his or her life. Angie said “So many people have said to me, ‘You’ve got to get over this.’ That’s easier said than done.” As a victim of abuse herself, Angie wanted to help other victim
s recover by offering her personal experiences.
Dedicated to bring the issue of child abuse to the public, Angie described herself as “a woman on fire with purpose.” She refused to live in the shadows of her childhood trauma and believed in creating a meaningful life for herself and others. She is a truly brave and inspirational figure who brings passion, conviction, and positive energy to our society.
Written by: Yi-Wen Hsiao
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About GC4W: The Global Connections for Women Foundation is not-for-profit charity organization that believes in women and girls — and their rights to create new opportunities for themselves and their communities.
