How Gina DeJesus Is Putting Her Captivity in Cleveland 'House of Horrors' Behind Her

Five years after escaping captivity, Gina DeJesus is creating a new life for herself, working with an Amber Alert program in northeast Ohio.

The 28-year-old became a symbol of hope after she was rescued from the Cleveland "house of horrors" in 2013. 

She is being educated on all aspects of the emergency operation including the alert system and the role of search and rescue dogs.

"I want to bring the missing back home," she said.

But her focus will be helping families of missing children. 

Her supervisor, Chris Minek, says her insight is invaluable.

"She brings hope," he told Inside Edition. "Gina has a perspective that we don't have. She's able to touch more people than we would ever be able to."

DeJesus says hope got her through nearly a decade in captivity where she was often beaten and raped. She still suffers from terrifying nightmares.

"It was horrible and it is kinda hard to sleep at night," she told Inside Edition. 

The monster responsible for the ordeal, Ariel Castro, killed himself a month after he was sentenced to life in prison.

"I think he was a coward that he took his own life," she said. 

DeJesus says she barely speaks to Amanda Berry or Michelle Knight, the other captives in Castro's house.

"I’ve put it behind me," she said. "I don't think about that. I just like to move forward. I talk to Amanda sometimes and I only wish the best for both of them."

Today, it's all about family for DeJesus, including helping her mother, who is blind. Her loved ones wasted no time making up for the decade she was gone. They held a massive bash to celebrate all nine of the birthdays they missed. 

DeJesus says she is happy to be helping and learning what she can do.

"I just want to help like people helped my parents," she said. "I'm a survivor."

Castro's home has since been demolished. The plot of land where it once stood has been turned into a garden. 

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