I met Zoë on social media and when I heard her story and all that she had been though, I knew I had to share it! Some people seem to experience a catalogue of events and trauma in their lives and sadly Zoë is no exception, but she is super resilient and always bounces back
She is the owner of online business, Kiddiwhizz and founder of Independent Mother organisation describes herself as more than just a proud Single Mother.
Having overcome a life of adversities including homelessness, domestic abuse and 20 years of mental illness she has fought against the odds to gain an education and reach personal goals set as a coping strategy.
With a career history starting at a young age, she heading straight for city life once she finished her University degree. Now, 6 years after designing the world’s first handheld portable toilet for kids aptly named, the Whizzer, she utilised her time in lockdown to bring the innovative invention to life.
She’s hoping Kiddiwhizz will be the start of a bright new future for her and her son.
Zoë’s children’s book, “The seed that grew with love” based on the story behind their Single Mother and son bond will be available soon
Some key points from our interview:
· How she recognised that her mental health was a burden that was ignored in the abusive household that she grew up
· How she was made homeless at just fifteen and moved to a hostel where she was exposed to drug addiction, crime, violence and abuse
· How she put her energy and focus into her education and she still remembers the kindness of a few teachers that made sure she had money to get to exams and food to eat
· How her dream of graduation from University and one day working in the city of London was realised, when she got a job at The London Stock Exchange
· How she recognised that her mental health was impacted on the long hours she worked and took a break and went travelling to reset
· How she decided to get some help to face her past traumas and spent a year in a psychiatric day hospital
· How becoming a mum gave her a reason to live and experience unconditional love
· How nobody would recognise that she still struggles with debilitating illness of bipolar at times, because she has become a master of disguise in order to survive.
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"Unbroken: Healing Through Storytelling" features individuals who have all triumphed after adversity and have not just bounced back in life, but forward and are now making a difference for others.
Hosted by Madeleine Black, the show will share stories of all the amazing people Madeleine has met on her own journey as an author/speaker and these stories will heal, motivate, inspire and bring hope when they share their wisdom and knowledge with her.
You can find out more about Madeleine, her story and her memoir, Unbroken, from her website: https://madeleineblack.co.uk/
Watch edited highlights on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/c/MadeleineBlackUnbroken
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