From a young age, Pattie Mallette was drawn to performance, appearing on local shows like Romper Room by age nine. But her early love for the arts was dimmed by a turbulent childhood. At 15, she began dating Jeremy Bieber. By 16, she had run away, surviving on theft and drugs to make it through each day.
Her dreams faded beneath the weight of pain no child should bear.

At 17, overwhelmed by trauma and despair, Pattie attempted suicide. She spent time in a mental institution, where she underwent Christian conversion therapy. After being released, she reconnected with Jeremy—and soon discovered she was pregnant. On March 1, 1994, Justin Bieber was born in London, Ontario.
That tiny heartbeat gave her a new reason to fight.