Lena is a remarkable 18-year-old girl. After battling cancer, Lena used her Wish, granted by the Make-A-Wish Foundation, to share her own story to be an advocate for other survivors of sexual abuse and domestic violence.
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Lena's video was produced at Collectively. Lindsay Schrupp, an editor and social producer for Collectively, is a former Make-A-Wish staffer, and shared Lena's story with BuzzFeed.
Meet Lena. At 18, she has already endured more hardships than anyone deserves in an entire lifetime.
Somehow, through it all, Lena has a positive outlook on life.
When contacted by Make-A-Wish, Lena told the organization that she wanted to do a photo shoot, article, and video encouraging other young people to come forward about sexual abuse and domestic violence.
Lena, who hopes to be a tattoo artist someday, proudly shared some of her artwork.
"That's a picture of me. It's me as a glass doll. I'm a little broken, see, but I'm still kind of intact."
Lena candidly recounted how her own father sexually abused her every day.
Lena's younger sister Samara has just recently begun to open up about her own abuse.
Lena's two best friends, Mariah and Peach, are also survivors of both sexual abuse and domestic violence.
After Mariah opened up about her own abuse, Lena comforted her friend.
It was Lena's friend Peach, advocating for girls in her school, that inspired Lena's wish.
Lena and her friends were picked up from their swank hotel in a limo, thanks to Make-A-Wish.
The girls were given the royal treatment at Seattle's Gary Manuel Salon.
And then it was time for the photo shoot at the Michael Craft Photography Studio.
Lena and her friends have received feedback from other abuse victims who have shared their stories.
Before she told anyone about her abuse, Lena says she went through an antisocial, suicidal period.
She says that after speaking up, her life changed for the better.
Lena told BuzzFeed she is now officially cancer-free!
