Like my mother, I was always saying, 'I'll fix my life one day.' It became clear when I saw her die without fulfilling her dreams that my time was now or maybe never. Liz Murray cleardaydie Change image and share on social
I'd been living on the streets of New York, and I was sleeping at my friends' houses, sometimes in the subway. Liz Murray friendhouselive Change image and share on social
I've learned in my life that you really don't know what's possible until you're already doing it. Liz Murray havelearnlife Change image and share on social
Ma was legally blind due to a degenerative eye disease she'd had since birth. This meant she was entitled to welfare, and our lives revolved around the first day of every month when her payment was due. Liz Murray birthblindday share on social
Shortly after I turned 13, Child Welfare took me into care. I was sent to a residential centre where girls with behavioural problems were 'evaluated'. My time there comes back to me now only in flashes of smells, images and sounds. Liz Murray backbehaviouralcare share on social
I had a calling inside of me. I had a sense that when I was going through experiences like living on the streets, losing my parents to AIDS, just having my whole world turned upside-down, there was this feeling inside of me like I was meant for something greater. Liz Murray aidcallexperience share on social
If I want to be a loving, generous, giving person, I'm not going to test the waters. I'm simply going to be a loving, generous, giving person. Liz Murray generousgivelove Change image and share on social
If I had a magic wand, I would live in a building in New York, big enough so my friends, my family could all have apartments in it. We'd raise our kids in the same space and have backyard barbecues and get old and fat together. Liz Murray apartmentbackyardbarbecue share on social
The lesson that people can't give me what they don't have, and if there's anything I took from it, it was: okay, I don't really expect anyone to hand me anything. There's going to be me and the world. Liz Murray expectgivehand Change image and share on social
As well as being blind, Ma turned out to have the same mental illness that her mother had had. Between 1986 and 1990, she suffered six schizophrenic bouts, each requiring her to be institutionalised for up to three months. Liz Murray blindboutillness share on social
