STRUTHERS — The family that wrote together, persevered together.

That’s what a Struthers clan — consisting of matriarch Michelle Carter-Douglass and the three Douglass siblings, Patrick, 26, Arlessa, 24, and Brialan, 20 — says.

“We chose to climb our way out together and to use our God-given talent, and our faith, to become self-published authors,” Michelle said.

Survivors of domestic abuse, the Wildcat family clawed its way to the top.

“When you hit rock bottom, you have the power and the choice to either stay there and succumb by life’s trajectory of challenges, or you can climb your way out,” Michelle said.

They said they write stories to inspire and encourage others.

In 1993, Michelle was married, divorcing in 2004. For a period afterward, they were homeless, she said.

Michelle began attending Youngstown State University, obtaining a bachelor’s degree in social work, which she said she chose so she can apply her own experiences to helping others.

But in 2016, she lost her job, which caused her to go into a depression — her “rock bottom,” she said.

Patrick, who was working at Walmart at the time, was paying bills for the family. Michelle worked on her writing, having “Behind These Closed Doors” published in 2017.

That paved the way for another book, “Raya, Isaac, Egypt and Noah Present: The Resurrection Story,” to be published later. Her children did the illustrations.

The book is a mirror in ways, reflecting the family on its journey, Michelle said.

Also on their journey has been Michelle’s daughter, Kailah Mychelle, who died in 1998. The family feels her presence, Michelle said. “She’s with us.”

While Michelle wrote, her children had been writing all along, she said.

Patrick began writing in high school, with Brialan writing as early as third grade, and Arlessa in fifth grade.

“Through our life, we were going through individual journeys,” Michelle said.

Her children had works of their own waiting to follow in their mother’s footsteps.

Also published were Brialan’s “My Purpose — Ordained by God,” Arlessa’s prayer book, “In Our Storms, We Have God,” and Patrick’s “Adventures of Gurgle Boy, Vol. 1.”

Their books are available on Amazon and Walmart websites. Crossroads Publishing initially published Michelle’s first book.

In addition to authors, the three Douglass children are continuing down their own paths.

Arlessa is a teacher at a local daycare and composes her own music. Writing for her began as poetry, which eventually turned into a book that then evolved into songs she co-writes with Michelle.

Patrick works at Marc’s in Austintown and is heading to college to become a software developer. His first book started as a movie script, he said.

Brialan also works at Marc’s, and is continuing to hone his writing skills. It was watching others around him at a young age that inspired him to write, Brialan said.

Both Arlessa and Brialan attended the Mahoning County Career and Technical Center, Michelle said.

“Three generations of Struthers High School graduates” as Michelle put it, began with her mother, Patricia Wilson-Carter as a Wildcat, Class of 1969. The “fantastic four” followed, earning their diplomas from Struthers High School: Michelle in 1991, Patrick in 2013, Arlessa in 2016 and Brialan in 2019.

The small, close-knit feel of the city, along with Campbell, which Michelle also called home for a time, “will mold you to be resilient,” Michelle said.

When people hit their lowest point, Michelle urges them to focus on a favorite hobby or reach out for help.

“Call the help hotline,” she said. “When I was going through depression, I would call the help hotline. Those people really, really did help.”

afox@tribtoday.com