At just nine years old, Christine Sadry boarded a plane in Poland alone, headed for a new life in America. What met her on the other side wasn’t the dream her grandmother spoke of—but silence, secrecy, and heartbreak.
In this emotional episode, April O’Leary welcomes author Christine Sadry to share the breathtaking, heartbreaking, and ultimately triumphant story behind her memoir, 13 Years Lost: An Unbelievable Story of Fleeing Communist Poland to Traveling the World Serving the United Nations. Christine recounts her early childhood in communist Poland, the shattering loss of her mother, and a spontaneous invitation to come to America that forever changed the course of her life.
But what was meant to be a hopeful new beginning turned into 13 years of silence, grief, and emotional imprisonment in an adoptive home where she was forbidden to speak of her past—or contact her family.
This is a story for anyone who’s ever felt stuck in their past. For anyone looking for permission to dream again. For anyone wondering if it’s too late to start over.
Spoiler alert: it’s not.
In This Episode You’ll Learn:
Why your childhood doesn’t define your future
That silence can be its own kind of trauma
That resilience can be quiet
How letting go is not forgetting—it’s reclaiming
That sometimes, the most healing act is telling your story
That we don’t always get closure—but we can still move forward
Why it’s never too late to start over
There is power in purpose
Share this!
“They made my life for 13 years. Now I get to make mine.”
“Gratitude was expected. But silence was demanded.”
“I realized I had to let the pain go or let it rule my life.”
“A locked door held my past. But not my future.”
Mentioned in this Episode:
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