Abducted by a maniac will hold your life and his hands it's the stuff of Hollywood thrillers and a startling reality. For far too many victims victims who is ABC's John -- discovered must bravely adapt to a so real and sadistic world. If they have any hope of making it out alive. Expect. In the continuing joyous aftermath eventually to hear words like healing and recovery thrown around. That's home anyone can wish for now for three women who lost so much of life. Yet are still alive. Because they somehow had what it takes to -- Unfortunately we have a long list of quite recent cases to study for what that survival takes. A long list of children abducted and held from months to years to nearly two decades in the case of JC -- died. Who has been able since her release to freedom in 2009. After eighteen years of captivity in a backyard in Antioch California where she was beaten and raped. Able actually to show the outside world. The face of someone who appears to have a life again a smile again a confidence when doing television interviews of which she is now done quite a few. I -- -- -- as a learning opportunity and. Rebecca Bailey was a therapist who worked with two -- -- saved her way is. -- Early on a relationship with her mother that allowed her to go into something with a strong sense of self. Which suggests that whatever sustains a person during captivity is what they build on them once they're back in freedom and -- Elizabeth Smart for example whose abduction from her home in 2002. When she was fourteen. Was a national story and those history of the world I don't think a little girls and prayed for more than Elizabeth Smart and we thank you for answering those prayers and freed nine months later. She has managed in many ways to live the life she had envisioned before her. Or deal it is possible to move on updating -- -- have both happened. And that we can speak out and we will be apparent. It's not based on age it's based on you know -- there it character. Ended there. Real goal. To not let this predator defeat them but. Neither is blind optimism necessarily an advantage because it can actually trip up the person who thinks that rescue is always imminent when it does not come. Alternatively. Take a little girl like Jeanette Tamayo who looked for all sorts of ways to escape when she was kidnapped as a nine year old including memorizing her kidnappers phone number. When he ordered pizza. -- And yet life in freedom had its challenges for -- the truth was she said ten years later. That it took years to conquer a fear that was still knowing inside her. It was taking over it wouldn't go outside of my house I was afraid of people especially men. For Mitzi -- chest also kidnapped as a child who appeared with Tenet on 20/20 this watch how easily. Her memory is triggered by the side of a photograph from the time she was rescued. -- my hand and and and -- me when I came home and an outside in my house thing I have my dentist can't eat and tax. I'm stairs. It makes him owns another trip to -- them. But with time and support both women did find a way to feel normal again. -- did JC -- guard who tonight was honored at the national center for missing and exploited children hope awards. I feel like -- have come full circle and -- her home finally together. Celebrating. The wonderful hope that you -- -- keep alive every day. JC duke guard showing there is a way to make it come back to life. If you chairs Lee -- For Nightline I'm John done that in Washington.