Hayley's childhood was extremely difficult. When her mother died of lung cancer, she was just 5 years old. Soon after, her father started dating a woman who ended up moving into his house with his daughters.
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That woman's hatred for Hayley and her siblings was immediate. She starved them and beat them. Hayley remembers that, when she ran into neighbours on the street, they ran to fix her hair and give her biscuits - as she says she and her siblings 'must have looked emaciated'.
One morning, her father told her to get dressed and that they would take the bus to the dentist. Upon arriving at that 'dentist' a couple of women welcomed her. Her father left without saying goodbye or giving her a hug.
Another chapter of her difficult childhood began there, although Hayley describes her time in the children's home as one of the happiest parts of her childhood. Her life wasn't void of difficulties either. But now, the 57-year-old declares herself a happy woman and says that her story of abandonment has allowed her to learn lessons that she wouldn't have learned otherwise.
Take a look at the video above to see the rest of Hayley's story.
