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At age 14, Shanna Holloway believed she was going to lose her mother for good.
The 47-year-old shared with Fox News Digital that the idea of facing a courtroom was overwhelming for her. She feared that after her mother was convicted, she might never see her again and if she did, they wouldn’t be able to physically interact for many years.
Wanda believes there are still misconceptions that exist about her family. (Investigation Discovery)
Shanna said that from ages 14 to 33, she didn’t talk about what had happened. It was at age 33 she found herself on her kitchen floor crying.
Shanna admitted that she used to suppress her emotions and never allowed herself to cry, thinking it was not something she would do. However, keeping her feelings bottled up took a toll on her physical health, leading to stomach problems and headaches. She realized that avoiding dealing with her emotions was detrimental and could eventually have serious consequences.
“I couldn’t see a way out of the pain that was always there,” she added.
High school cheerleader Amber Heath, left, and her mother Verna Heath enter a courtroom in Houston on Sept. 3, 1991. (AP Photo/David Scarborough)
To address her mental health struggles, Shanna decided to seek therapy. This was a turning point for her as she finally opened up about her experiences and how she had been silently coping with them for years. Subsequently, she created a website called Smile More Worry Less, where she offers online courses to help individuals dealing with depression.
“I wanted to heal, and this is part of the healing process,” said Shanna. “I wanted to show that you can go through trauma like I did, be at the lowest of lows, and still make it back if you do the work and talk about it. That’s what the documentary also helped me do — talk about it.”
While Shanna has a relationship with Wanda today, her idea to speak out on camera received “a lot of pushback” from family members.
Shanna still has a relationship with her mother, Wanda. (Investigation Discovery)
“I was even threatened with lawsuits,” said Shanna. “I had to explain that this isn’t just me trying to bring this stuff up and hurt everybody. That’s not my goal… There are people out there hurting, and they don’t know what to do.”
Shanna hasn’t spoken to Amber since the incident, the New York Post reported. But today, Shanna hopes that in revisiting her past, others privately battling their own traumas will be encouraged to share their stories.
“I don’t think I’m 100%. I don’t think I ever will be,” she said. “But I can tell you I don’t wake up every single morning with anxiety anymore. I had a constant weight on my chest before I got on medications. I didn’t even know what it felt like to not have that anxiety in my chest because it had been there since I was 14.”
Shanna is seen here watching her mother’s trial on TV. (Investigation Discovery)
“I was so used to it,” Shanna reflected. “… But I didn’t have to feel this way this whole time… I feel like a huge weight or burden has been lifted off of me. And even the relationships with my mom and my dad, we’re starting to heal now because it’s being talked about for once.”
“The Texas Cheerleading Murder Plot” is available for streaming on Max.
