Dena M. Hodges is the first‑born grandchild of Charles M. Schulz, creator of the Peanuts comic strip, and spent the earliest years of her life feeling deeply cherished in Santa Rosa, California before being thrust into a tumultuous childhood marked by abuse, loss, and betrayal. Named after her great‑grandmother and later relocated to rural Colorado, she endured severe trauma at the hands of her mother, navigated addiction, and survived multiple life‑threatening medical crises, including years of undiagnosed sepsis, chronic Lyme disease, toxic mold exposure, and devastating jaw damage caused by childhood abuse. These experiences fueled a lifelong drive to understand the roots and consequences of trauma and to advocate for those who have been silenced or dismissed.

As a single mother of two biracial daughters and the founder of the Paws and Claws Florida division of the 501(c)(3) rescue Howey Horse Haven, Dena now lives on a small farm in north‑central Florida, where she and her children care for neglected and abandoned cats and kittens while continuing their own healing journey. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology, a master’s degree in forensic psychology, and an MBA, and is currently a doctoral candidate in Criminal Justice with an emphasis on Homeland Security, specializing in issues of abuse, substance use, mental illness, and systemic failure. Anchored by a deep Christian faith, Dena shares her story through writing and speaking to offer hope, validate the experiences of other survivors, and point to the possibility of restoration even after profound trauma.