Kim Ung was born and raised in Battambang, Cambodia. She was only in her teen years when Pol Pot ruled with his iron hand and had millions of Cambodians killed. April of 1975 was a day to remember, but not for good things.

During the five-year reign of Pol Pot, Kim's dream to find freedom never left her mind. Even though times were bleak, there was a hope etched into her mind that told her that someday, she would escape.

In 1979, when Vietnamese soldiers temporarily took over Pol Pot's power, Kim and her family had planned to escape to Thailand by foot. Unfortunately, as they neared a city close to the border, the Khmer Rouge arrived and unleashed with a shower of bullets amongst all citizens. Luckily, for Kim and her family, they were resting under a mango tree and were able to avoid being decimated by the Khmer Rouge.

After that event happened, they had no choice but to return to their village. Several months later, a new plan was devised to escape once again with other Cambodian victims.

With no food and water, the escape already started to look bleak. It wasn't until the dark lonely nights in the jungle when they got lost, that their hope began to die. But, hope was with them all along when they found a Thai hunter in the jungle looking for his food. This escape became victorious. After that day, they spent several months being taken care of in Thai camps for escapees.