Kristen Stillman has a second chance at motherhood

Kristen Stillman has a second chance at motherhood. A victim of horrific abuse for more than a dozen years -- which resulted in her giving birth to four children before she was twenty, all fathered by her rapist -- she'd been in court to testify against Eric Torrez, who wound...

By Patricia Calhoun

February 18, 2011

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Kristen Stillman has a second chance at motherhood. A victim of horrific abuse for more than a dozen years -- which resulted in her giving birth to four children before she was twenty, all fathered by her rapist -- she'd been in court to testify against Eric Torrez, who wound up sentenced to 300 years in jail for his crimes. And this past September, she was back in court, telling the juvenile judge that she was relinquishing parental rights to the four children so that they might have the chance she never did.

"This is in the children's best interests," said the guardian ad litem assigned to represent them. "But it's one of the greatest acts of love I've seen."

"I would echo that times ten," affirmed the judge.

And now Kristen Stillman has a second chance at motherhood, at creating the family she never had herself as a child. Yesterday she gave birth to a little girl, Kaylee Renee, fathered by the first boyfriend Kristen has ever had. Mother, father and baby are all doing fine.

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Patricia Calhoun is editor-in-chief of Westword, the alt-weekly she co-founded in September 1977. She’s been inducted into the Colorado Press Association Hall of Fame, the Association of Alternative Newsmedia Hall of Fame and the Colorado Restaurant Association Hall of Fame. She’s also received dozens of local, state and national awards for writing, including first place for feature writing and first place for column writing with the Society of Professional Journalists. Patricia is a weekly commentator on Colorado Inside Out, PBS 12's public affairs roundtable, which has won two Emmys.

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