Darlaine was orphaned at eleven years of age, taken from the home were she was born, sent to an older sister's house to live in another town where she was expceted to earn her keep. She became a champion swimmer, good student, and self reliant. Darlaine suffered a stigma during her growing years from her peers as she had no parents. This situation made her strive to be the best at school and in sports, an attitude she continued to hold throughout her adult life both at work and home, in an ongoing struggle for survival and acceptance.