No child should endure what I endured
Brooke Axtell with Freedom United
| I want to share something vulnerable with you. When I was seven years old, I was forced into sex trafficking by someone who was supposed to take care of me. Part of my healing journey has been fighting for the freedom and recovery of others who have experienced human trafficking. For over 15 years, I’ve supported survivors and advocated for justice. But as the years have passed, I’ve become more and more committed to prevention because I can’t bear the thought of one more child being exploited or abused. On this World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, I’m asking you to stand with me—not just to support survivors after they’ve been abused, but to stop trafficking before it happens. Support change That’s why I serve as an Advisor to Freedom United. Their mission is to prevent trafficking through systemic change—by advocating for laws that protect freedom, reduce vulnerabilities, and hold governments and corporations accountable. Advocacy like this may not seem as urgent and important as directly supporting survivors. But I want you to know that it is life-saving. Good policy protects real people, and inhumane policy means more of us will be harmed. That is why I need your help. Donate now One urgent example? Banning child marriage. It’s still legal in many parts of the world—including in most states in the US—to marry children before they can even legally consent to sex. This legal loophole facilitates the sexual exploitation of children. One of my dear friends endured this in the US. At the age of 15, her family forced her to marry an older man when they found out she was pregnant. Even though what happened to her was statutory rape under Texas state law, child marriage meant he could legally continue to abuse her. He became violent after they married, and she eventually fled in her early 20s with two children and no resources. She found a recovery community and started a new life. But no child should have to endure this. End exploitation Freedom United works to close those loopholes and protect the next generation. Their campaigns are informed by survivor leaders like me and driven by the belief that everyone has a right to be free from human trafficking.[1] It’s not enough to help survivors. I want a world without exploitation. Nothing less. No exceptions. Justice is not just accountability for perpetrators—it is the restoration of dignity, the protection of freedom, and the creation of a world where no one is for sale. That’s the world I’m fighting for. That’s the world we can build—together. On this World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, please support Freedom United so no child has to endure what I endured. Thank you for being a freedom fighter with me. Together, we can protect the next generation from trafficking. I am donating today, I hope you will too. Join me and donate With love and gratitude, Brooke |
 Brooke Axtell Author of Beautiful Justice: Reclaiming My Worth After Human Trafficking and Sexual Abuse Advisor to Freedom United Watch me tell my story. |
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