Dismissed True Stories

Season Finale: A Mother On The Run- WE DID IT!

• The Survivor Sisterhood • Season 3 • Episode 7

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A mother sells the only home that still felt like home, walks into a shelter with her kids, and stares down a system that keeps telling her to wait. That’s where Sarah’s story turns—when waiting becomes planning, and planning becomes movement fueled by a community that refuses to look away.

We pick up right after the hostage night that changed everything. Sarah maps a route to South Dakota, hoping for work and a chance to be near her grandmother. The new start almost holds: an apartment, a small business, daycare for her son. Then the signs arrive—strange voices at the door, love notes meant for no one she knows, and a call from daycare about a man demanding pickup. Even with her ex behind bars, another person is doing his bidding. It’s coercive control by proxy, and it forces a hard reset. With help from advocates, an emergency voucher, and gas cards, she chooses another town and another chance to feel safe.

Along the way, we talk frankly about how leaving abuse is a process. We confront slow police responses during COVID, the power of a single warrant to quiet months of terror, and the unglamorous reality of food pantries, diaper drives, and the math of survival. We sit with the emotional crash that hits after the crisis, the practical buy-a-taser-and-breathe steps, and the discipline of keeping addresses off the grid. And we honor what carried Sarah forward: listeners who shared, donated, and turned empathy into action. That collective care didn’t just cheer from the sidelines—it moved her across state lines and into a safer life.

Sarah leaves us with a clear call: love yourself, fight for yourself, and trust your gut, even when starting over hurts. If you’re a survivor, an ally, or someone learning how to show up better, this story will stay with you. Subscribe, share this episode with a friend who needs it, and leave a review to help more survivors find a path to safety.

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SPEAKER_03:

Hey, and welcome back to Dismissed True Stories. I'm your host, Elissa. And last week I gave you a very quick update, just a couple of minutes, just to let you know that Sarah has officially relocated and that she would not be joining us for this, for that episode. Sorry. And that she is safe and that she's okay and she's settling in. But after that episode went live, Sarah reached out and she was like, I feel the way that my story ended wasn't like it wasn't my full story. I didn't feel finished. And she was right. There was a lot that we hadn't gotten to yet. Life was lifing. So today I went to do right by her. I want to finish telling the last part of her story where she has been running and what running actually looked like for her, what happened in those months after leaving Missouri and how she eventually got to safety again. So in the spirit of doing right by Sarah, let's pick up where we left off. So when we last ended, Sarah had just survived one of the most terrifying nights of her life. He had held her hostage. He threatened her. So she started looking at RV parks all over Missouri, but the truth had hit her fast and hard. She's like, if I stay in this state, we're never going to be safe. So she thought about where she could go. And that's when she was like, wait, my grandma is in South Dakota. And Sarah had shared with me that one of her lifelong dreams was to help care for her grandmother and to be near her and to build a relationship that she never really had with her growing up. So even though her grandma was in a nursing home, Sarah decided, okay, South Dakota is where I'm going to go anyway, because she wanted that closeness. She wanted that connection. So she packed up her kids, she hooked up the RB, and she left. And at first, it actually looked promising. She got a job immediately. But in true, like Sarah's life story fashion, that start date kept getting pushed back further and further, like by one week and then the next week, and then the next week. And then eventually her savings and everything that she had taken with her to South Dakota had run out. She was going to food pantries and diaper drives, and she was doing anything that she could to keep herself and her kids afloat. So one day she's like, I got to call my mom. I'm desperate. Uh, I need some advice. And her mom tells her to sell the RV. And of course, Sarah's like, What? Like, I don't want to do that. The RV is like the only consistent thing in mine and my kids' lives. Like, no matter how often we move, the inside is always the same. It's like that one place that signaled to them that they were home and that whatever happened, like at the end of the day, they could come back to that and know that they were all together and they were safe. But eventually she came to the conclusion that she didn't feel like she had another option. So she sold the RV and she said that her kids and her, then with nowhere else to go, entered into a domestic violent shelter. And while they were there, her ex somehow found her again. She said that she had him blocked on everything except his telephone number. And he started texting her over and over and over again. And he's threatening her and he's telling her that he knew the city that she was in and that he was coming. And Sarah reported everything again to Kansas City, where she used to live, trying to get a warrant issued for what he did the night that he held her hostage. And the answer that she kept getting from police was hey, it's COVID. We're understaffed. You're not special. And we're, we will get to your case when we get to it. But then he slipped up. He mouthed off to the wrong officer, finally got arrested because a police officer in South Dakota finally filed a warning or sorry, a warrant for stalking and harassment. So then for the first time in a long time for Sarah, things got really quiet. She didn't feel like she had to fight anymore. Like someone finally was fighting for her. And because of that, Sarah felt safe enough to leave the shelter and she got her own apartment and she started a small business. And she was like, I was doing really well for myself. She was even able to put her son in daycare. And it looked like her life was finally starting to turn around. And then, of course, things shifted again. One day she's in her apartment building and she heard a man kind of like going back and forth with someone at the exit door of her building, saying that he couldn't get in because he didn't have the right key fob. And she heard him say, sorry, I'm I'm not from around here. And she was, she didn't really recognize the voice, but she was like, Okay, that's really interesting. So she's like, Okay, I'm clocking that. I'm noting that because around this same time, she kept noticing post-it notes, like stuck up in the building notes that said, like, I love you, let's work this out. And she assumed, I think just like anyone would, that it was for a neighbor that was going through a breakup. And then she said there was a day that came where her son's daycare called. And they were like, Hey, can you come in? Um, there was a man that showed up here demanding to pick up your son. And the daycare had said, Well, they actually like made us so uncomfortable that we locked ourselves in a back room and waited for police to arrive. And of course, like when the police got to the building, that that man wasn't there. And when they pulled the security footage and showed her, she didn't recognize that man, like not at all. And that's when she realized her ex, who was still sitting in jail, had someone on the outside working for him, keeping tabs on Sarah, keeping tabs on their son. And she knew she wasn't safe anymore and she wasn't going to get safe. So she called the domestic violence shelter that had helped her before, and she told them everything that had happened. And they were like, you need to leave town now. So they did the work, they got her an emergency section eight voucher, they filled her tank with gas cards, and she picked a place on the map at random. And she left with her and her kids again. And that brings us to modern day when we first started this podcast. And as she's been fighting to find her kids and herself safety yet again, because like we've said many times during this season, her ex is getting out of prison next week. So now Sarah, after last week, is rebuilding again. But this time she is rebuilding with so many people behind her. And I want to say this so it really soaks in Yirnagan that you helped her get here. Your downloads, your shares, your donations. I have goosebumps, your love, your support. Strangers across the country. Many of you survivors yourselves rally behind a woman that you have never met. I have full body chills right now. This is what community looks like. And this is what we mean when we say that healing happens together. Sarah and I were able to sit down for just a quick 15 minutes this week to have a little chit-chat about what telling her story on dismiss true stories has meant to her. And I reflected back on her, the things that I've learned because she trusted me enough to tell her story. So we're gonna go into that now. Um, but just a quick thank you again before I do. Thank you for listening and supporting Sarah. Your support saved lives. Like chocolate salt, chocolate salt too on your dot.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Mostly chocolate.

SPEAKER_03:

Mostly chocolate. I was up last night at 3 30 eating peanut butter and chocolate chips on the couch. So my first clue that my dot was about to start. Yeah. I couldn't, you said you didn't sleep last night because you are sick.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah. I was wondering after you said that I was like, maybe it's the fact that you know how like you get through something. Let me know if this is relatable or not, but like you go through something and then you're finally like on the other end of it. And then I feel like your body just like collapses. And a lot of the times that's when you get sick. And I was like, that's probably why she doesn't feel well right now.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, I've been doing way too much since I got here, but I mean, the living room was stacked with all my boxes and totes. And I'm like, I have to get organized. I have to figure out places for my stuff to go. And I should have recorded myself for content, and now I'm kicking myself going, why didn't you do that?

SPEAKER_03:

But I mean, as long as you're not giving any, because I've thought about this a lot too with you, like, as long as you're not giving like any identifiable Yeah, it would be all of the window or right, yeah. I know. Um, and then I told you, because I've been thinking about you nonstop. I told you that I had a dream about you too. I was like, I I like made you so much food for your travels. And I woke up thinking, if she was close to me, I that is something I totally would have done.

SPEAKER_02:

I would have been like, girl, come pick up your sandwiches.

SPEAKER_03:

Like yeah, for sure. I think at the end of the day, like once you're a mom, you're a mom to all.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_03:

Like even we're the same age.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03:

So I just wanted to sit down and have some girl talk with you. Like I said, like we had talked and you were like, wait, girl, like my story isn't done. Let me let me summarize this real quick. And I want to put that in um at the beginning of this episode. Just a quick summary of all of your all of your relocations. Um in the creepy ass way that he would show you that he found you with the heart on your vehicle. That's so strange. How do you feel right now, though, knowing that he gets out next week? Have you thought about it?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, I'm still counting down the days and anxious. And I mean, I do feel kind of safe for the moment, but I'm just worried. I just don't want to be found again trying to figure out how to not put anything in my name and how do I keep my address safe? And I'm still probably gonna be carrying around a taser.

SPEAKER_03:

And I was gonna ask if you had protection.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. I have a taser. Well, I have two tasers actually, and um, I have a knife, which the knife thing kind of scares me because he was able to get a knife out of my hands before, so it's a little concerning, but yeah.

SPEAKER_03:

I do wonder what the resources are like in your area and if you could get some sort of like immediate help or relief.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. Um, it's something I really need to look into. I just again I've been overwhelmed with kind of trying to unpack and make space.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

It's been awesome.

SPEAKER_03:

I'm so happy for you though. I did, uh I'm sure you've gotten a lot of messages that it's probably overwhelming of people being like, oh my gosh, I'm so glad that you're okay. I I got a few that was like, I just listened to the update. It was only two minutes last week, but I was so happy and I was celebrating her.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, yeah. I've really been slacking on my social media recently just because I'm just kind of overwhelmed with everything. Yeah. I made a couple little posts like, hey, I I did make it, you know, and we are somewhere else now. And all of my big supporters there have been, you know, oh my god, I'm so glad you made it. I'm so thankful that this worked out for you.

SPEAKER_03:

So you do have some beautiful support on TikTok. I mean, they're the reason that we met and started talking in the first place.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03:

I wanted to also discuss our time together. Um one thing that upon reflection, I am always so I guess the word would be honored and a bit surprised that survivors trust me with their story because I'm a stranger. And I've heard other survivor horror stories where they go on podcast and the host knows nothing about their story. They didn't do any due diligence before, literally podcasting 101. They know nothing. And I think that that is so traumatizing to have to just repeat your story to someone who didn't even take the time to like get to know you. And I hope that I made you feel comfortable and that you could open up and that you felt supported, and that you found a sister and a friend in me because you trusting me has helped me grow as an advocate and as a survivor and as a person and as a mother, and my nose is getting tingly, which means I'll probably like tear up. I'm just really happy that I believed in the both of us enough to be able to put your story out into the world and that we had the best ending that we could possibly have. And I didn't think that I would relate to your story so much, but then in the ways that you share how you were feeling in so many different situations, it ended up being extremely relatable. Um for me, I was like, I just wanted to be loved and seen and understood too. And I think at the end of the day, like that's that's what it is for so many of us. Like we're chasing, we're chasing that, and and that's why we stay, because because we've seen it before and we want it to stick around and it's not consistent. And then you're like, if I had it before, why can't I have it again? You know. So I just wanted to say thank you because you said a lot of things that spoke to a younger version of me and you healed me without even realizing it. And you've helped me grow. So thank you.

SPEAKER_01:

I appreciate that a lot. I definitely feel all the things you were saying about like just having somebody who gets it, and I'm not just telling the story to tell the story. I feel like I'm finally understood. I feel like somebody actually cares and for the right reasons, not to be manipulative or you know, to try to gain something out of it. I feel like it you're the way you do things is very genuine. I I couldn't have picked a better person to tell my story to. Honestly.

SPEAKER_02:

Thank you. I appreciate that. I told you that I just started my dot and I'm like sure I would have cried before this, but now I feel like I'm just a mess.

SPEAKER_03:

Um I think that the end of things are always sad because now we're at the end of your season, but I don't think that it's the end for you and I. You said that you want like your hope and dream is to become an advocate. And I cannot wait to watch that happen for you. Excuse me. We said I said to you earlier in this season, like, I would say that you are. Like, I'm gonna push back on you a little bit and say that you already are because you're already out there sharing your story, you're already out there being relatable, you're already out there. I mean, just sharing your story alone opens the door for other victims and survivors to be able to say, yeah, me too. I don't know. I I kind of want to be the first to say, like, please, like, bring me along on this journey with you because I want to watch it happen. I mean, I don't, I don't want to keep you too long because I know that you don't feel well and you are trying to get, you know, organized in your in your new life. Um, but is there anything that you want your listeners to know as we round out this season?

SPEAKER_01:

I'm just really grateful for anybody who cared to get to this point and hear the whole story and hold that space for me and want to support me. You know, if it wasn't for social media, you know, I wouldn't have met you if it wasn't for social media and the podcast, you know. I don't know if I would have been able to relocate on my own. So I'm very grateful to everybody who's played a part in making a difference and uh helping us figure out what's next.

SPEAKER_03:

I'm gonna ask you a question that I ask every survivor who comes on Dismiss True Stories, and it's a hard one. If you were to give one piece of advice to somebody who is still in an abusive relationship and they're listening to your story and they're really resonating with the things that you have shared, what would that one piece of advice be?

SPEAKER_01:

Love yourself and fight for yourself. And if you know that something isn't right, trust your gut. You may go through hard things and starting over. You may wonder how you're gonna make it through, but in the end, it's worth it. Choosing yourself, you know, if you're a mom choosing yourself and your children, they will look back and be so proud of you for having the courage to move forward, no matter how hard it might have been. I know my kids feel like that, so I know they're really grateful to have at least one parent that you know will obviously do anything it takes to make sure that they're safe, that they're comfortable, that they feel seen and heard, and advocated for, and not left to just an adult, selfish decisions. They are a part of everything and matter.

SPEAKER_03:

Like I said in the very beginning, you have validated and healed parts of me and just telling your story, and I really hope that you continue to do so. Thank you so much to everyone who made it to the season finale of A Mother on the Run, uh, Sarah's story. Sarah, thank you so much for this journey in allowing me and everybody else to be a part of it. It's been beautiful, and I've worried about you, I'm stressed about you, and I've celebrated with you, and I've gotten to know you, and I've cried with you. And honestly, I would do it all again.

SPEAKER_00:

I appreciate you so much. I'm so hoping that as well.

SPEAKER_03:

To every one of you who showed up this season, Sarah's story was definitely not an easy one to tell. But because of you, it ended in safety. And I will never, ever stop being grateful for that. And right now I am hard at work on season four. I cannot wait to share it with you because this next story is so incredibly personal. It's Tala's story, the woman who inspired Tala's closet, and it's unlike anything that I've been able to tell before. So there are a lot of moving parts right now, a lot of voices, a lot of truth, and we're building it with the care that it absolutely deserves. And I can't tease too much just yet, but I promise you it's coming and it's going to matter. Until then, thank you for listening. Thank you for believing survivors, and thank you for helping us break the silence. One episode, one story, and one sentence at a time. I'm Elissa. This is Dismissed True Stories, and I'll talk to you soon.

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Elissa

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