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Vikie Shanks was born in Aden (South Yemen). Her father was an overbearing, strict military man and Vikie’s early life was far from easy, especially when her mother died when Vikie was only 15. She left home at 17 to move to London after a heated argument with her father which nearly resulted in Vikie’s death after he tried to strangle her. She had no parental support or anything to fall back on, but she continued.
After working as a model for several years, Vikie met her future husband and her life changed forever. He was a controlling Narcissist and Vikie found herself trapped in a relationship from which there was no escape. He dramatically took his own life in 2007 leaving her with their seven children to raise alone, with no help from any family or friends.
Six of Vikie’s seven children are on the autism spectrum. The seventh is severely Dyslexic, and the youngest two also have Cerebral Palsy. Vikie’s mother and two brothers were also autistic, so Vikie has lived with autism and mental health struggles her entire life. She speaks about her battles with depression openly. Vikie’s youngest daughter spent many of her adolescent years in a psychiatric hospital being treated for Anorexia. Her life hung in the balance on many occasions but she finally came home to live in September 2018.
Keynote by Vikie Shanks:
Vikie Shanks is a mother, author, and advocate whose story embodies courage, compassion, and hope. After the tragic loss of her husband, Vikie was left to raise seven children on her own, six of whom are on the autism spectrum, and one who is severely dyslexic. Her extraordinary journey is captured in her acclaimed book “Unravelled” and the powerful Netflix documentary “Kingdom of Us”.
In her keynote, Vikie shares her deeply personal story of overcoming adversity, navigating the challenges of mental health, and finding strength through unconditional love. With honesty and warmth, she inspires audiences to see resilience not as an extraordinary trait, but as something we all possess when guided by purpose and compassion.
Her message resonates with anyone facing hardship, offering hope and practical insight into living authentically and communicating with empathy, even in the most difficult circumstances.
Vikie is an expert in:
