When Jordan Turpin was just 17, she quietly slipped out of a window of her family’s home and dialed 911. She had been held in captivity for years, and her parents had been beating and starving her and her 12 siblings. They were even shackled to furniture for months at a time. It was the first time Jordan had ever talked to anyone on a phone.
When authorities arrived at the Turpins’ residence, they discovered 12 malnourished victims in filthy conditions. Now, at 22, Jordan is a TikTok star and model gracing the pages of Elle magazine. She’s a living testament to the power of resilience and hope, and her story is a reminder that no matter how bad the situation, there is always a way out.
Jordan and her siblings were placed in foster homes after their parents were sentenced to life in prison in 2019, but they say they were physically, sexually, and emotionally abused in those homes. Jordan has one piece of advice for social workers: “Listen. If a kid goes to you and says, ‘This is happening in the foster home,’ look into it. I just wish they had listened to me.”
Today, Jordan and her siblings are finally safe. Jordan lives in a light-filled Los Angeles-area apartment with a stocked refrigerator, and her walls are decorated with motivational quotes and splashes of purple, her favorite color. Jordan loves sharing dance videos on TikTok, where she has more than 924,000 followers, and modeling comes naturally to her.
Jordan was assessed at a third-grade level when she escaped her family home in 2018, but she went on to earn a high school diploma. Despite everything she’s gone through, Jordan exudes optimism. She’s focused on inspiring others, saying, “No matter how bad it is, there is a way out — and it does get better.”
Adjusting to adulthood after a childhood of abuse isn’t easy. Jordan remembers struggling when she worked at Taco Bell in 2021. But she’s turning what she went through into something positive by helping others. “I’m choosing where I let that take me,” she says. “I’m turning what I went through into something positive by helping others.”
Jordan hopes to become a motivational speaker and dreams of writing books, and she wants to use her voice to improve the “broken” foster care system. She also hopes to have a family of her own one day.
Jordan Turpin’s story is a powerful reminder that no matter what life throws at you, there is always hope. She has overcome unimaginable obstacles and is now using her voice to help and inspire others. Her story shows that no matter how bad the situation, there is always a way out, and it can get better.
Source: www.today.com