SIOUX CITY (KTIV) - Elizabeth Scholten, an Iowa woman who was born into a sex ring kicked off the Crittenton Center’s 125th anniversary celebration.
"I was born into a sex trafficking ring to a mother that was intellectually, and mentally disabled, and as a result that was the first three years of my life, beaten, raped, tortured, and forgotten by the world," said Scholten.
Elizabeth Scholten was born prematurely in Northwest, Iowa on May 29th, 1987 after a failed abortion attempt in the back seat of a truck.
"I came to the Crittenton Center after a very traumatic background for the first three years of my life," said Scholten.
On July 3rd, 1990 law enforcement intervened after finding Scholten nearly dead at just three years old.
Scholten says she was brought to Sioux City where she underwent multiple reconstructive surgeries and intense psychological therapy.
She later was introduced to -- in her words, her very first family -- the Crittenton Center.
"They taught me social skills, coping skills, developmental skills, and they also taught me to advocate for myself and not give up, and that was the driving force that I needed to find a family of my own, and be as successful as I am today," said Scholten.
But trust didn't come easy for Scholten.
"It was going to take extreme efforts, and extreme love to reach me in a world that I had completely closed myself off from," said Scholten.
Scholten says she would not be where she is today without the Crittenton Center. She says she learned to love and be loved.
She also graduated high school and college with a degree in social work and psychology.
"Today my life is messy, it's silly, it's funny, and it's incredibly driven," said Scholten.
Scholten and her husband recently adopted two siblings, who were also residents of the Crittenton Center.
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