The following story mentions suicide and suicidal feelings, which can be unsettling to read about. If you or someone you know is struggling, please consider reaching out to an appropriate individual or organisation for help.
“My name is Zoé. I’m 18, and I believe what Jesus did for me deserves to be shared – even if it’s hard.”
Zoé didn’t grow up in a Christian home. No one prayed. No one spoke about God. Her childhood was marked by pain, violence and fear. A particularly traumatic event left a deep wound she still carries.
Depression crept in
“From that moment I began to sink,” she recalls. “Depression crept in like poison. I felt alone, useless, broken.” She tried to cope with her pain by self-harming. She also attempted suicide several times.
“One evening when I was alone, I was certain it would be my last. I had no light left inside me. In a final desperate attempt, I prayed: “Lord, if You’re really there, I surrender to You. I can’t go on living.”
In that moment, Zoé says she experienced a profound and immediate change. “I felt a peace that was beyond anything I’d known—a warmth, a presence, like someone was holding me in their arms. I was no longer alone. Jesus had heard me and come to find me.” That night, she slept in deep peace. The next morning, she woke up a different person.
Still felt lost
Over the next few years, Zoé embarked on a journey to get to know God better. She went to Mass and read the Bible and tried to expand her understanding. Her heart began to heal, but she still felt lost at times. Then someone invited her to Alpha Youth.
“Thanks to Alpha, I met incredible people who welcomed me with kindness,” she says,. “I learned so much, too – the questions I had were often fully answered in the videos, in a gentle and thoughtful way. I was also able to make many friends, and I realised that I wasn’t the only one with so many questions. Growing in my faith alongside other young people has been a true gift.”
Zoé is now part of a supportive church community where she feels loved and valued. “It’s more than a community – it’s a real family!” she smiles. And she continues to feel the presence of God in her daily life.
Thanks to Alpha, I met incredible people who welcomed me with kindness.
“Today, I can say with certainty that Jesus saved me. He brought me out of the darkness and gave me life again. My life isn’t perfect – I still have my ups and downs and struggles – but I’m no longer alone. I see God working in my life each day through encounters, words and moments of silence when he speaks to me.”
On the night Zoé shared her story, she received baptism – a moment she had unknowingly been waiting for her whole life. “If my story can touch even one heart, it’s worth it,” she says with conviction.
