Heather Bellamy spoke with Linda Huskisson about a life of domestic violence, prostitution and drug abuse and how she turned her life around.

Linda Huskisson lived through domestic violence, attempts on her life, drug and alcohol abuse, prostitution and cancer and has overcome them all through her faith in Christ. She has seen her family and her health restored and she has also published her biography, Cheating Death, Living Life. Heather Bellamy heard her story.

Heather: How did life begin for you?

Linda: I was born in Jamaica and came over to England as a baby. My mum and dad were in the army and we travelled around a lot. It was a very loving family, but quite strict.

I used to ask God where I went wrong and I believe it was in my teenage years, when I became quite rebellious. I was going to a boarding school in Germany where I learnt typing, shorthand and did commercial studies, because I wanted to be a PA in a company. My dad was in the army and he was getting posted back over to England and when we came back to England there was no schooling like I had back in the boarding school; there was no swimming pool; no typing and no commercial studies. I got rebellious and thought, "You know what, I'm just not gonna do this anymore" and I started skipping school and then getting into boyfriends and then going down a really slippery slope.

Heather: You were expelled from one school weren't you?

Linda: I was yes, for cutting somebody's hair off after she grassed me up for smoking. She had very long hair and I snipped it off and that's why I ended up going to boarding school in Germany, because I was expelled from high school.

Heather: So did you have a good relationship with your parents back then?

Linda: I did to start off with. I think I resented having to come back from Germany when my schooling was going really well there. I felt very resentful to my mum and dad because I felt that they weren't listening to what I wanted. I do understand now why my mum didn't want me to be in Germany. I was only 14 and she was in another country, so if anything had ever happened to me there was the problem of getting over to Germany. I respect that now, but at that time in my life I didn't respect it at all.

Heather: Life changed for you at 15 when you met your boyfriend Terry. What happened?

Linda: I got in with this guy called Terry and we ended up going out with one another. He was always in trouble with the police; nobody would stand up to him because there was a fear there. He was very well known in Peterborough and was very attractive.

I was actually being bullied in school, which is another reason why I came out of school. I felt a sense of security and safe place with him, because nobody would pick on him, so they wouldn't pick on me and if anybody did, then he would give them what for, so that's how I got involved with Terry.

Heather: You married Terry and had two children with him. What was life like with him?

Linda: It was very difficult. My mother and father went back over to Germany again, as they were posted back there and I was left in England. We lived in Bicester and it was very difficult. When I had Georgie we were only children ourselves. I was 16, nearly 17 and Terry was 19. We were children having children. I'm 55 now, so I can look back and see where the errors were, but at that particular time it was very difficult. He used to beat me up and I was too frightened to say anything to him. It got to the stage where I didn't know what kind of mood he would come in to the house with and if he was in a good mood that was great, but if he was in a bad mood then you had to look out.

Heather: And he was unfaithful as well. Why did you stay with him?