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Devon Hansen's life reads like a Hollywood psychological thriller, yet it actually happened to this ordinary housewife, married to a small town, influential doctor in Ohio. A doctor, who drugged, tortured and nearly killed Devon, then stripped her of custody of her three children. A corrupt political system allowed this. And, an abusive husband consumed with power and vengeance forced his innocent wife onto the streets. Penniless and homeless, Devon lived in the underbelly of an urban jungle, surviving alongside drug pushers, pimps, killers and thieves.

But, the love of her children pulled Devon back from the depths, providing her with the courage to fight back and re-invent her life. A dyslexic with severe learning disabilities, Devon had all the odds stacked against her, yet with strength she didn't know she had, she found a job, entered college and graduated with honors while living on the streets and eventually in a low-income housing project. Soon after, she opened her own consulting and speaking practice that went national in just one year.

Throughout, Devon never lost the single-minded goal of rescuing her children. After ten long years and ongoing court battles, she finally won back custody, with the Supreme Court of Ohio eventually declaring her children "Victims of Crime". Devon's determination and grit made this modern-day hero and an outspoken advocate of children's and women's rights and an activist dedicated to changing the system that allowed such corruption. She was featured on television programs including "Geraldo", "Sally Jesse Raphael", and the "Donahue" show.

Additionally, Devon authored a book - Angry? Do You Mind if I Scream? that was the book most requested by the Oklahoma Bomb survivors whom she was invited to counsel.

In 1996, Devon took on a new challenge as an artist, drawing inspirational images called "Heartpeople," based on a special Valentine she made for her daughters. In 1997 she showed a selection of her work at a small café and in one month 70 paintings were sold. In one year, Devon sold more than 800 paintings and opened up her own gallery. Today, Devon's work adorns businesses, homes, and public spaces around the nation, including the Dayton Heart Hospital, that commissioned 144 original Heartpeople^® images making Devon one of the first artists in the country to have her art in every room of a hospital. A broad-spectrum of charities and non-profits, as well as politicians and celebrities have also embraced Heartpeople^®.

On April 11, 2003 Devon was honored as one of Dayton, Ohio's "Top Ten Women," in a ceremony that took place in the very courthouse where she first lost her children. She was nominated for the Governor's Art Council Award two years in a row, and a film about her inspiring life is in pre-production in Hollywood.