A young girl from Ontario found strength in music while facing a harsh reality at home. After tragedy struck, she was thrust into the role of caregiver, putting her dreams aside to keep her family afloat. Years later, her voice, once a private escape, has become a source of inspiration worldwide.

She was born into poverty in Timmins, Ontario, where her family struggled to meet basic needs. Her stepfather’s low-paying reforestation job and her mother’s struggle with depression left little room for change. As one of five children, she quickly learned to go without, finding solace in her love for singing.

Photo of the young girl, dated September 26, 2019 | | Source: Instagram.com/shaniatwain

Singing in bars from a young age, she found moments of escape and self-worth. But nothing could prepare her for the burdens she would face when, at just a young age, she was left to raise her siblings alone.

The musician and her acquaintances in the 1980s, posted in September 2022 | Source: Instagram.com/shaniatwain

A Childhood in Poverty and Strife

From her earliest years, she knew what it was like to live without. Money was always tight, and her family often lacked essentials like food, heating, and even reliable lighting.

She quickly became aware of how different her life was from that of her classmates. Going to school without lunch, she would watch her peers and wonder if they’d leave an apple untouched, hoping she might take it later.

To avoid the embarrassment of admitting she had no lunch, she’d tell her teacher it was “in her locker” or that she’d “forgotten it.” Music became her way of escaping these harsh realities, especially the persistent hunger.

She’d take her guitar and retreat into the forest, where she’d light a small fire and lose herself in the songs she played. The melodies helped her forget the emptiness in her stomach.

Her mother saw her talent as a way out, too, and began taking her to sing in local bars starting at age eight. Because the bars couldn’t legally let her in while alcohol was being served, she would perform after midnight when the patrons had stocked up on drinks.

The musician in the 1980s, posted in September 2022 | Source: Instagram.com/shaniatwain

By age eleven, she had a special permit to perform earlier in the evening, though she wasn’t paid until age fourteen. That was after she began working at McDonald’s, a job she called her “saving grace,” as it offered her both a paycheck and regular meals — luxuries she had long dreamed of.

Her routine of attending school, working at McDonald’s, and singing in bars left her utterly exhausted. Yet, she persevered, fueled by a deep love for music and a hope that it could one day bring her a better life.

Abuse and Trauma at Home

Her struggles at home ran deeper than poverty. The presence of her stepfather, who legally adopted her and her siblings, cast a darker shadow over her childhood. He was not just harsh but abusive, creating an environment of fear and pain that permeated her daily life.

She remembers learning to fend for herself against his violence, once summoning the courage to throw a chair at him in self-defense. “I think a lot of that was anger, not courage,” she later reflected, describing how her survival instincts clashed with the constant fear she felt.

The musician in the 1980s, posted in September 2022 | Source: Instagram.com/shaniatwain

This abusive environment left her feeling isolated, eroding her sense of trust and making it difficult for her to believe she deserved safety or kindness. Sadly, the physical abuse was only part of her trauma.

From the age of ten, she suffered a different kind of harm — a betrayal that shattered her innocence and sense of safety. Her stepfather started abusing her sexually.