Abandoned as a child, former cop Dawn Smikle turns pain into purpose

After being abandoned at a police station by her mother and spending years in state care, Dawn Smikle has turned her childhood trauma into a source of inspiration for others through her debut book, Grace Beyond Brokenness.

Smikle’s difficult childhood began with her experience of being an outside child, leaving her feeling unwanted in both her mother’s and father’s families.

“I’m an outside child for both parents. So my stepdad thought I was an additional bill to the family, and because of lack of support from my dad for me, my mom was frustrated,” Smikle told Observer Online.