Gems of Knowledge

For much of her life, AnnMarie Hayden only knew survival. She was trafficked as a child in Texas and Oklahoma, where abuse and exploitation shaped her identity into adulthood, leaving her disconnected from her worth, voice, and purpose. After reaching a breaking point and surviving a suicide attempt, AnnMarie fully surrendered her life to God and began a journey of healing, freedom, and discovering who He created her to be. In her forties, she began to truly see a new life being built from the ashes of everything she had endured.

Today, AnnMarie shares her story to help others understand the realities of familial trafficking and find hope & freedom. She uses her lived experience to partner with churches, organizations, and institutions to develop survivor-led strategies focused on prevention, restoration, and sustainable change. A wife of 33 years, mother of 6, and mimi to 14 grandchildren (and counting), AnnMarie is also the founder of Fireborne (fireborne.org), where she is passionate about helping people and communities encounter healing, purpose, and transformation through faith-rooted, trauma-informed care — ultimately partnering with God to use their gifts to help others discover freedom