Kidnapped By Her Paranoid Schizophrenic Mother; One Woman's Story of Turning A Life Of Tragedy Into a Life of Endless Impact Intv. Avail.

I wanted to reach out about a story almost too crazy to believe, a story that challenges those who hear it to ask themselves if she went through all of that and still has hope, what does that mean for me?

Eliza VanCort has lived a life that feels as though it were scripted for a made-for-tv movie. Her mother suffered immensely from mental health struggles and was diagnosed as paranoid schizophrenic. In an exclusive story with People Magazine, Eliza describes being kidnapped by her mother, who, before her diagnosis, was described as “devoted and loving.” A scheduled visitation with her mother suddenly took a turn for the worst when the visit turned into a case of kidnapping. This ordeal included tragic accounts of not having enough food, hitchhiking, and Eliza witnessing the rape of her mother. During the rape, Eliza recalls her mother saying "'Eliza, whatever you do, do not come back here. Whatever you hear, do not come back here.' During the extensive kidnapping, Eliza said she learned many lessons, including the idea that "You have to be as quiet and small as you possibly can, if you want to survive," a situation like this.

It would be easy to condemn her mother’s actions, but through kindness and forgiveness, Eliza healed her generational wounds. 

Eliza was eventually reunited with her father, who, upon settling in New York, enlisted the help of women in the community to raise his young daughter. It would have been easy for these women to ignore the little girl with the tragic backstory or shun the family wanting to stay away from issues of mental instability and domestic disputes. Still, these women chose to engage in acts of kindness and compassion. 

In an interview, Eliza can recount the order of events that lead to her once idyllic childhood turning into a string of traumatizing events at the hands of an unstable mother suffering from untreated mental illness, and how she learned to turn this time of trauma into a catalyst for changing the lives of others. 

Now as an author and speaker, and widely popular Tik Tok star, Eliza strives to empower others to claim the space waiting to be filled by their talent and challenges people to respond to others with kindness, compassion, and genuine care. 

If you are interested in scheduling an interview, please let me know, as I am happy to coordinate. Please see more about Eliza below. 

-Jillian 

Lead Publicist 

KT Media Strategies 
 

Eliza VanCort is a professor at Antioch University, a Fellow at Cornell, consultant, speaker, and writer. She is an advisory board member of the Performing Arts for Social Change, a Diversity Crew partner, and a member of Govern For America’s League of Innovators. Her book, A Woman’s Guide to Claiming Space, is now available. She has also given a TEDx talk on Women, Power, and Revolutionizing Speech. Her significant presence and engagement on Tik Tok allow men and women from all backgrounds to claim their space and regain control of the trajectory of their lives. 

She has more than 200K followers on Tik Tok.