Posts by: Sophia San Filippo

Based in New York City, Sophia San Filippo has worked with Love What Matters as a lead editor and content curator since early 2019 and has acted as Managing Editor since early 2021. She is a Summa Cum Laude graduate of Binghamton University who holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature, Creative Writing, and Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies. She is passionate about personal storytelling and creating a positive space in media to better the lives of others. On a typical day you can find her rocking out at her local concert venue, admiring nature, or baking her latest kitchen experiment.

‘I can’t look like this anymore!’ I begged my parents for surgery. I’d arrive a new person and no one would have anything to say about my looks anymore. I was sure this was it.’: Woman overcomes bullying for cleft lip and palate

“She replied ‘Oh my god… it is unbelievable they let people like you work in a place like this! I want someone else to serve me, someone normal.’ I returned to school after going under the knife. ‘Are you thinking about a career in porn? You look like a porn star now,’ a boy said. I was shocked. I decided it was time to finally fight back.”

Published by Sophia San Filippo - Feb 14, 2019

‘What the heck?’ I was staring at a naked picture of myself on my father’s computer.’: Sexual assault survivor speaks out parental abuse, ‘I finally have power again’

“The camera was planted upside down and was sitting on a brown bookcase, hiding between books in my room. My thoughts began to race.”

Published by Sophia San Filippo - Feb 13, 2019

‘I was head over heels for a man with ‘a past.’ We were an on-and-off again couple, and I thought sex would fix what was broken. I gave in.’: Young ‘sterile’ woman gets pregnant with ‘wrong man’, re-discovers love

“This decision didn’t fix anything. Instead, it all came crashing down. When he moved and we agreed to no longer see each other, I found out I was pregnant. I was completely in shock. I was told I would not be able to have children naturally. But there I was, alone, scared, unwed, and pregnant.”

Published by Sophia San Filippo - Feb 13, 2019

‘The government thought I was a superhuman. My parents met in a cult called ‘New Testament Church’ in the 1980s. You can see things ranging from demons, to Big Bird, to Ryan Reynolds.’

“I had a forty-percent chance of getting it, but always knew I would. Although I tried to avoid it, it was ultimately inevitable.”

Published by Sophia San Filippo - Feb 12, 2019

‘There’s a problem in our relationship.’ My father stopped the car. I had an instant sick feeling. In a blink, my hero was gone.’: Woman overcomes abandonment issues, sexual trauma, ‘I can finally stand tall after 36 years’

“At age 13, I fell into a relationship with an older man. He carefully groomed me and became the father figure I was missing. He showered me in gifts and affection. But there was a price to pay. He would follow my school bus and watch me get off. He controlled my every move. Every week, I prayed I’d be the long-lost child reunited with her daddy.”

Published by Sophia San Filippo - Feb 11, 2019

‘I was prepared for surgery. Panic took over. I counted the tiles on the floor to keep from having a major panic attack. All I could think about were my two sweet babies at home. 3. 2. 1…and I was asleep.’

“It was a quiet dinner; not many words were exchanged. We just sat together and acknowledged what was coming. He held my hand and made sure I drank and ate whatever I wanted. When we were done, I went home to feelings of intense physical pain. I didn’t want to go to the ER. I just had to wait.”

Published by Sophia San Filippo - Feb 11, 2019

‘What have you been up to?’ I bumped into an old friend. ‘Rehab.’ I laughed, thinking it was a joke.’: Childhood friends reunite and overcome addiction together

“‘I don’t look the same as when you last saw me. I’m not doing too well,’ I said. My face was a mess. I had cuts and blood in my nostrils. In that coffee shop, I sat across from him crying. I was scared of telling anyone.”

Published by Sophia San Filippo - Feb 08, 2019

‘Am I ever going to walk again? Will I survive this?’ I never saw the man who did it. I just felt the shattering vibration and collapsed.’: Woman survives nightclub shooting to support other survivors

“There was no fight, no scuffle. Just bone-crushing shock. For years, I imagined him as every man I saw – walking down the street, opening my office door, pushing through a crowd. Every victim I heard about on the news was me – helpless and broken – life as they knew it taken from them in one moment.”

Published by Sophia San Filippo - Feb 07, 2019