Merigin was removed from her dysfunctional and abusive family at a young age and placed in a government-run institution. Her early life was spent on the city streets, living with a mother who struggled with drug use and a father who brought in meager earnings as a scavenger and occasional tour guide. While her father was away daily seeking income, she was left with her mother, who subjected her to abuse. Rescued, turned over, and raised within the institution's walls, her lif