I SURVIVED

Terri Ryan wrote and performed music from an early age. She performed in acapella group Wild Quince for many years and at community events. Terri was also a member of the instrumental band Trial and Error. Terri was inspired to create the not-for-profit organisation Friday Nite Live to provide a platform for up-and-coming performance artists of music and poetry. It led Terri to organising concerts with the other members to raise money for various health organisations. The concerts involved local school children and were a big success. However, the 2009 Black Saturday fires destroyed two of the members’ homes and stress levels were high and so it was decided to fold the organisation. She was fortunate enough to be gifted with a creative imagination which has led to doll making. Reborn Doll Making became so popular she had to cease advertising it on Facebook. Terri started writing poetry after experiencing severe trauma through domestic violence and stalking. Following this traumatic experience, Terri returned to school and finished years 11 and 12 then went on to do short courses in Internet and Publisher. A Business Certificate II at TAFE also gave her the required skills to create this book. This was followed by several years working as a train conductor which is where Terri feels she learnt empathy through listening to people’s stories. She has since helped many people and has a YouTube channel featuring various topics based on encouragement. Terri’s four children have now left home and she is a grandmother of seven and great-grandmother of one. Terri volunteers with the SES and is involved with her local community. She is happily remarried and says she feels ‘at peace’.