Throughout most of her young life, Cherry Kingsley suffered abuse and exploitation as a child prostitute on the streets of Vancouver. Bearing a son and connecting with her First Nations roots led her back from the brink of annihilation. In 1996, she attended the First World Congress Against the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in Stockholm, Sweden. At the age of 22, Cherry began to organize numerous projects and conferences inspiring youth from around the world to speak out against the abuse and exploitation of children. For her relentless efforts as a child advocate, she received the Governor-General's Award in 2000.