Purpose The purpose of this paper is to share Khia Stacey’s story. Design/methodology/approach Khia Stacey wrote a short piece detailing her journey, and she was then interviewed by Robert Hurst. Findings Khia Stacey spoke about experiencing trauma, facing difficulties within child and adolescent mental health services and how she chose to fight on. Research limitations/implications Recovery narratives such as the current one give the readers an overview of only a single person’s experiences. However, they allow the person with lived experience to explore their story in depth. Practical implications Khia Stacey stresses the importance of listening to service users and gives advice on how mental health professionals can better support those in services. Social implications There is so much to learn from a story such as Khia’s – for those who have had similar experiences and for those who work in mental health services. Originality/value This is the first time that Khia has chosen to share her unique story. Its value is apparent immediately upon reading it.