By: Sky Braun, MFM Editor/Writer
Less than a month ago, an excerpt of this feature was offered to you all in order to put Ekaterina Estes on your radars. Now that you’re familiar, I share with you, the story of a girl who grew into not only a remarkable young woman, but also a warrior. World, meet Katya:
During NYFW I had the pleasure of meeting with fellow artist/photographer, Chad Cosper. As we walked through Soho in downtown Manhattan, he shared a project with me. It’s called “Climbing Walls” and features a now Kentucky-residing model. She is also this issue’s Spotlight Model, and upon reading her story, you’ll understand why.
A little over two decades ago, an alcoholic woman gave birth to a little girl in a rundown shack somewhere in Russia. Two days later, she dropped her on the doorstep of a nearby orphanage and fled. During the little girl’s years there, she only ever gained 23 pounds in total weight, donned a mandatory shaved head, and learned, as Cosper put it, “children in her orphanage generally faced one of two fates in life. [They] were either adopted, or were released to the streets at 13 years old where most were bought and sold on the black market and became victims of human trafficking.”
Fortunately, this little girl beat the odds and was adopted by an American family that wanted nothing more than to protect, love and support her. She was named Ekaterina Estes, less formally known as Katya, and it took her entire adolescence into young adulthood for the “happy ending” she deserved to come to fruition. If that’s where you thought we were in the story, keep reading.
Unbeknownst to Katya’s adoptive family, her new paternal grandfather saw her, essentially, as the perfect victim. He sexually abused her for years, telling her that if she were to ever disclose the abuse, she would be sent back to Russia without a mommy or daddy again. And so, she stayed silent. She stayed silent because “he was the biggest monster in [her] life.” She stayed silent until she reached middle school, as the abuse was getting worse. She was scared, but she was courageous. Fear was turning to fight.
Immediately taken to an advocacy center, Family and Children’s Place, where Katya eventually earned a National Award, she was first told, “You are protected now. This is not your fault.” They made her feel like a safe and well-loved “survivor.” However, Katya does not particularly care for the term. She knows it isn’t something you simply survive and move past, as the daily battle with PTSD and depression constantly remind her. Katya told me, “The word warrior is more suitable.”
When I learned of Katya’s criminal and civil cases in Louisville, I was admittedly unprepared for both the immensity and intensity. It had strung on for years and years and in turn, became “the biggest part of [her] life.” News reports show James Estes constantly in court, particularly for violating his probation over and over, and as Katya explained, “it felt like they slapped him on the wrist over and over again,” too. Her own personal monster continued to be a free man.
Prosecutors finally sent Katya to David Yates, a civil lawyer in Louisville, who became “an amazing support in [her] life because he understands the importance of justice in the community.” Yates knew that Katya deserved her day in court, so again, they went to trial, and Katya testified for two straight days. This past July, she won. James Estes pled guilty to raping his granddaughter and was convicted of first-degree sexual abuse of a minor under the age of 12.
Katya was also awarded a large sum of money, although she knows she will hardly receive any of it, and she is fine with that. “All I ever wanted was to seek justice, make a stand in the community and be strong for other people who have experienced trauma similar to mine,” said Katya. It’s important to her that others know this is a common day-to-day battle for many, but most importantly she wants all warriors to know they are not alone.
Currently, Katya is modeling, studying criminal justice in school, and continuing to be an advocate in her community. Even though she states that her innocence was taken from her the day she became that man’s target, she knows it is because she was weak from the orphanage, and definitely not weak in spirit. She refused to let him take anything else from her, “especially because [she] was born with nothing, not even parents.” However, she is so deeply loved by the mother and father she has today, as well as her brothers.
Ekaterina Estes “came to America with the rights to be loved, privileged and hopeful, and today will be stronger and more powerful than he will ever be,” she explained, “because I stood up. Nothing can silence me anymore.”
Inspiring the title of MFM’s entire October 2016 Issue, Katya has a spread all to herself in Volume 1, appropriately titled “Unbreakable.” We encourage you to check it out, along with the rest of the continuously inspirational artists who contribute, here: http://bit.ly/2eKbJya