Ice Cream
A SURVIVOR Memoir
by Mary Therese (Rhodes) Speight

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“I am not a movie star or a professional singer or a dancer, nor am l an intellect. I am a SURIVOR.” At the age of four years old, author Mary Therese Rhodes was told she would be going for ice cream, but little did she know, she would not be returning home. When Mary’s parents could no longer provide the necessities of food and shelter due to having no jobs, no money, and no end in sight, Children’s Aid placed her in foster care. Although she reunited with her family once her father got a job, Mary’s life was never the same. Ice Cream is a survival story of how Mary overcame abuse, drug addiction, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, PTSD, and cancer. Chronicling her tumultuous childhood and the struggles she later faced as a result of unhealed trauma, this memoir also details how far she has come, raising her son and starting a food bank to help others facing similar challenges. For Mary, the goal in life is to find inner peace despite adversity. Written with candour and vulnerability, Ice Cream is a must-read for anyone who has dealt with mental illness and survived obstacles within this complicated world.

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Mary Therese (Rhodes) Speight was the executive director of the food bank, where she raised money, spoke to local groups, and hired volunteers. She lives in a small town in Cayuga, Ontario, with her dogs, Franklin and Jazz. My son Will and his wife Lisa and my two grandchildren William and Ryan live close to me.

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Mary Therese (Rhodes) Speight