'Turning pain into a purpose': Southern Utah woman opens up about surviving abuse and moving through the foster care system

At just 12 years old, Sherry Syson made a decision that changed everything, one that forced her to grow up fast and fight for a safer future for her family.

Syson lost her mother at just three and a half years old. She spent time in foster care at five before being sent back home to live with her father. At 12, she advocated for herself and her siblings and reentered the system.