From Dental to Mental: A Memoir of Survival to Service

What happens when the very system designed to safeguard your well-being becomes the instrument of your greatest torment — and the people who should uplift you become the architects of your downfall? For over two decades, Shaina endured the trials of a toxic marriage, judicial betrayal, parental alienation, the devastating loss of her beloved to suicide, addiction, wrongful confinement, fifty-six days of unjust imprisonment, and years of unyielding resilience on the streets of Louisiana, where sweltering heat became her constant companion as she navigated the darkest corners of her life, refused to break her spirit, lost her cherished dog on Christmas Day, yet chose shelters not out of desperation but out of empowerment. From Dental to Mental is the powerful testament of a woman who refused to be defined by her struggles. From the courtrooms of Louisiana to the halls of the House of Representatives, from the vibrant lights of a casino floor to a serene creek in Washington State where a book lay waiting for her, from the somber cell block on Thanksgiving night where poetry became her solace and women's applause echoed through the darkness — Shaina's journey is a beacon of hope, illuminating that your greatest struggles forge your strength, your deepest pains prepare you for greatness, and the trials that once seemed insurmountable were actually the crucible that transformed you. She is a Registered Dental Hygienist. A housing advocate. A jailhouse poet. A grandmother affectionately called Sweetie. And the most qualified voice in any discussion about the resilience of the human spirit. For every soul that has forgotten its own light, this book is for you. Read more