Tonight on 20/20 ` Biological clock ticking. Tired of waiting for Mr Right. I don't see why I should have to miss out just because I haven't met the right person. More and more Kiwi women are deciding to go it alone. Height. Height. What are you going to go for? Height. What are you going to go for? Uh... 6'3" and above? 6'3" and above? 6'3" and above, probably. Yep. Welcome to the Beverly Hills Cannabis Club. Cannabis made me a better human being. Could these pot-loving mums revolutionize the way we live? If it was discovered today, it would be a superfood. And we meet the cast of the scandalous new drama,... Hi. ...Devious Maids. If you don't stop screwing my husband, I'm going to have you deported. Captions by TVNZ Access Services Captions were made possible with funding from NZ On Air. Copyright TVNZ Access Services 2013 Kia ora. I'm Sonya Wilson. So you're in your 30s, you want a baby, but you're single. What do you do? For some women desperate to have their own child, leaving it to fate is not an option. At a Fertility Associates clinic in Auckland, five single women walk through their door every week. They've made the life-changing decision to go it alone. Tonight, Emma Keeling meets two women who've done just that. But what is the financial and emotional cost of their choice? You think you have all the time in the world. You'll meet the one, have kids. But time ticks away. And, suddenly, all those possibilities have come down to just... you. It's not that uncommon. It really isn't. CHEERING Heidi Baker is facing a daunting challenge, and it's not about finishing the Tough Going Girl Race. There's some amazing parents out there, and they shouldn't be stopped from being parents just because, you know, they haven't met the right person. She wants a baby, but she's single. I think my body will probably give out before I give up. Oh, thanks so much! The last few months have been spent exploring all the options. Supportive friends and family ultimately counts for little. The fact that I'm... I'm on my own, i-it shouldn't really count against me, and it feels like it does. It really feels like it does. It really feels like it does. What are you prepared to pay for this child? It's going to cost for the` for the first attempt, uh, about NZ$40,000, which is a huge sum of money. Heidi's determined and strong. She's had to be. What took you so long? I've been here for hours. Just had so much fun. I'm really proud of everyone for supporting Ronald McDonald House. And, yeah, this one was for Jack, so I'm really really pleased. Jack was Heidi's son. One of my very, um, lovely friends in the UK sent me this when he was born, and it's got JP on, which is Jack Peter, and my dad was Peter. Before Jack, Heidi hadn't thought about kids, until she turned 36 and her partner said he'd be keen. She got a check-up and was told her egg reserve was low. It was really hard to hear that... that might not be happening for me. And I decided, at that point, that, you know, 'OK, well, perhaps this isn't my future.' And, uh, possibly within a couple of months, I found out I was pregnant, and it was a huge shock. Everything was fine until the 20-week scan. He had a disorder called congenital diaphragmatic hernia. Half of his diaphragm was missing, and his heart was on the wrong side because a lot of the stomach and intestines had moved up into the chest cavity and were preventing the lungs from growing. And so, from being over the moon, went to being completely devastated within the space of a minute. Last year, Heidi flew to England, where surgeons operated on Jack in the womb. And this is just after he was born. In September, he was born six weeks' premature. As soon as I saw him, that just blew me away, and that was my whole world, and nothing else particularly mattered. Then Jack got an infection, and his kidneys started to fail. When did you get to hold him? When did you get to hold him? Um, I first held him while he was dying. They took him off life support and gave him to me. That was very hard. Very very hard. I don't think that should be the first time anybody gets to hold their child. Mentally, are you ready to have another child? I can grieve fo-for Jack for another few years, but actually, I feel this is a more positive way to move forward. Now that she's single, and because of what happened to Jack, Heidi's decided to go with both egg and sperm donors. I have to go overseas. So, in order to have a, sort of, double-donation in NZ, there's very few egg donors available. People are much more likely or willing to donate to a couple. So I would always be at the bottom of the waiting list. The wait could be years, so Heidi's made a clinical decision. But, then again, she is a genetic scientist. The goal is` is to have a healthy child, and if not throwing my genes into that mix makes that more likely, then of course that's something I'd do. She's 37 and can't wait around any longer. If you could just snap your fingers and Prince Charming would appear and drop on me and want to marry you and have your babies, that would be fantastic, but, uh, I don't know many people that's happened to. Prince Charming is a hard man to find. He certainly wasn't in Dannevirke, so Melissa Martin decided to forget the fairy tale. I want to be a mum. I believe I'll be a good mum. Um, and, yeah, I don't see why I should have to miss out just because I haven't met the right person. How much did you want a child? More than anything, and once you start the process, it's life-consuming. It's just everything. Hello. Here we go. One, two, three. Ooh! Two weeks before Melissa turned 35, she had Imogene. Were you worried about being judged? Um, no, not really, because I'm not ashamed or embarrassed by what I've done, and if people have a different view or opinion, they're entitled to it. 31 and single, she went to Fertility Associates to go on the sperm-donor list. Want your bottle? Were you tempted to have a one-night stand? > Were you tempted to have a one-night stand? > Not my cup of tea. Not at all. Just it's not safe in so many ways ` medically, legally. Um, many of these people that do one-night stands with the aim of getting pregnant without letting the other person know isn't fair. It wouldn't have worked anyway. Melissa discovered she had fertility problems, so had to go through IVF. It took two years to reach the top of the sperm-donor list. Put you in your high chair. And then I sort of, you know, three-hour drive to Wellington from home, thinking, 'Oh, you know, 'I'm about to choose the father of my child.' To even get to this point, Melissa had spent years thinking it through, planning. There's financial stability coming into it, because when you decide to do it on your own, you want be as secure for yourself, you want to be secure for the child, and not just in the short-term but in the long-term. Her savings were put towards having Imogene. She's cost just over $50,000. INTRIGUING MUSIC From 3 to 9 each day, Melissa runs her own ballet school. # We all fall down. # Could you do this without your family? Yes, I could. Could I do it like I do it now? No way. Um,... they are incredible. Imogene waits patiently for one of her aunties to pick her up. Alex and Morgan are the first babysitting shift after school. So what did you think when your sister said, 'I'll have a baby'? Uh, I was sort of, like, 'How does that work' at first. But then I got sort of used to it and, yeah, I was quite excited. She said it, and I was, like, 'OK.' And then, like, an hour later, it hit me, and I was, like, 'Oh, you're gonna have a baby.' Yeah, so... Hello. Just after 5, the second shift arrives. You haven't had your sleep? Imogene's grandparents, Glenda and Russell, are home from work. What were the concerns you had about her going it alone? I knew that it would be... a lot on us. Like, the support would have to come from us. And... I'm not getting younger. But, so far, it's... it's working out, and we're lucky that the girls play a big part as well. Without them, I couldn't do it either. < A number-eight wire in the form of an orchestra. (CHUCKLES) < Do you think it's been the best thing for her? < Do you think it's been the best thing for her? I think she's now complete. So small town ` Dannevirke. You were never gonna keep Imogene a secret. No, it was never gonna be kept a secret from here, and being a small town, it was just easier to let everybody know. Because, um, you know, small-town people do talk. And, I mean, that's human nature, and you can't stop it. Melissa has always been honest about Imogene's donor dad. I was just on three months' pregnant, and I sent a letter out to every family at the dance school. I gave them all the facts, and I put at the bottom of the letter, 'If the children ask me at dancing, 'this is what I've told them.' 'this is what I've told them.' What did some of the kids say? I remember one little girl coming one day and saying to me, 'You don't have a husband, do you?' I'm thinking, 'Oh no. Here we go.' 'No.' 'You had to have special medicine so you could have your baby, didn't you?' And I went, 'Yes.' Melissa is lucky. Imogene is an easy baby. Would you do it again? > Would you do it again? > Yes, yep. Can't afford to, but yes, I would. Although being a single mum isn't ideal, Melissa knows she made the right call for her and her baby girl. The way it's set up legally in NZ is fantastic. I know that nobody's ever gonna come knocking at my door and say, 'That child is mine.' The donor has no legal right, but he knows Imogene exists through letters passed on by the fertility clinic. (GASPS) Hey. I have sent photos of her to him with a couple of updated reports, and I, to date, haven't heard anything back, and that's quite challenging, um, because having a one-sided relationship almost is` is... it is, I guess, it's difficult. It` It brings its own set of challenges with it. How do you feel about him? How do you feel about him? Oh, thanks don't` doesn't begin to cover it. (SIGHS) Yeah, speechless, really, about him and what he's done. I wouldn't have my family. I wouldn't have my daughter. Um, it would be eternally grateful. She will always be made aware of... of how special she is and how she came about. JAUNTY MUSIC It's a long process, and Heidi is only at the beginning of her donor search. OK. So far, she's chosen to use a clinic in California. I found most of the clinics I contacted were, um, incredibly compassionate and had a huge amount of empathy, and it wasn't usual to be a single person looking to have children. Her next step is to choose her egg and sperm donors. What's more important? The, um, personality side of things or th-the look side of things? I mean... Healthy donors. Healthy donors. Um, good medical histories. Anything I can do to increase the chances of having a healthy child is` is what I'll do, and everything else is all secondary to that. Finally, Heidi gets to have a bit of fun. We can have a look at the sperm bank. We can have a look at the sperm bank. Yes. Let's look at the sperm bank. Height. Height. What are you gonna go for? Height. What are you gonna go for? Uh... 6'3" and above? 6'3" and above? 6'3" and above, probably. Yep. Giant baby. Giant baby. Giant baby. > There's even a celebrity lookalike list. George. George should be on there. Christian Bale. I wouldn't go with Christian Bale if I were you. You're gonna waste a lot of time on this, I can see. It's for all the lovely girlfriends that supported me. I think I'm gonna invite them around, and they can all help me choose. Maybe this? Maybe this? He's Swedish. Maybe this? He's Swedish. Oh! (LAUGHS) Does it bother you that the baby won't have your genes? Oh, not at all, because I'm not sure whether my genes are probably that healthy because of my age and also potential genetic issues with Jack. So, in fact, if I can allow my next child to have someone else's much healthier genes, that's probably the best thing. UPBEAT MUSIC Her friends are behind her decision. They also understand the risks. Obviously, financially, it's a lot of money. If it doesn't work out, she's still Heidi. She's got her life ahead of her, and it's not the be-all and end-all. But, obviously, you know, I have high hopes that, you know, it's successful. I couldn't think of anyone more deserving. I've got the loveliest friends, and I know that no matter what happens, they'll still be there for me. And this experience will be so much easier, in a sense, because I've got people that I can trust in my life to be there for me. < If you do get pregnant, what will you tell people? < If you do get pregnant, what will you tell people? I'll scream it from the rooftops. Scream it from the rooftops. I will certainly always be honest about where those children came from and the process that I went through. A world of possibilities have been replaced by reality. It's just her now, but Heidi believes she can still be a wonderful mum. Absolutely. Absolutely. I couldn't imagine still having all these mothering feelings and without having a child. That's` That's really hard. It's a very hard situation to be in. Good on them. We'll keep you up to date with how Heidi's getting on. Next on 20/20 ` meet the stoner mums. Vaporiser time. Welcome to the Beverly Hills Cannabis Club. The sauce has a little bit of cannabis-infused olive oil. Your hostess? The self-proclaimed Martha Stewart of marijuana ` Cheryl Shuman. Cannabis not only made me a better mom. Cannabis made me a better human being. Cannabis made you a better mom? Cannabis made you a better mom? ALL: Absolutely. Everyone knows bourbon goes with cola, but try the Lawrenceburg Lemonade with Wild Turkey, To whip up a Lawrenceburg Lemonade, just fill a glass with ice and then add 30ml of Wild Turkey. and you'll appreciate better bourbon in a different way. Mixed with American Honey and Mac's Lemon Crush, it has warming notes, but it's also crisp and refreshing. Great for get-togethers all year round. To whip up a Lawrenceburg Lemonade, just fill a glass with ice and then add 30ml of Wild Turkey. The secret to its huge flavour is that it's distilled at a lower proof, so less water is added. There's literally more bourbon in this bourbon. Now we just wanna top with Mac's Lemon Crush, and to finish just add 15ml of American Honey. Squeeze and drop in your lemon wedge, stir and serve. Cheers. For the Lawrenceburg Lemonade recipe... or head to themix.co.nz, where you can also win prizes. Pick up Wild Turkey bourbon from The Mix stand this month and get a free four-pack of Mac's Lemon Crush while stocks last. Welcome back. Now, When you think pothead, certain images may come to mind. But there is a group of women trying to replace the stoner stereotype and redefine the modern cannabis consumer. They have taken to talk shows and Twitter to spread their message ` pot makes them better mums. Why? Well, as medicinal users, they say that getting high has helped them escape a life of chronic pain, depression and anxiety. EASY-GOING MUSIC On a recent evening in a home in Beverly Hills, a few moms gathered to enjoy food, friendship and a few laughs. I may not know how to cook, but I do garnish incredibly well. But this was no ordinary potluck party. Before the main course ` a special hors d'oeuvre ` the hostess busts out a Mason jar full of home-grown marijuana, grinds up a big bud and fires up a state-of-the-art device called a vaporiser, and then passes around the balloon bag full of powerful pot to her dinner guests. Vaporiser time. Welcome to the Beverly Hills Cannabis Club. The sauce has a little bit of cannabis-infused olive oil... Your hostess? The self-proclaimed Martha Stewart of marijuana ` Cheryl Shuman. Cannabis not only made me a better mom; cannabis made me a better human being. Cannabis made you a better mom? Absolutely. Absolutely. Absolutely. So how did this all come to be? A flashback 10 years. Cheryl was a married mother-of-two and a successful optician to the stars. Not exactly a Jeff Spicoli wannabe. I'm so wasted! What was your attitude toward pot originally? I was one of those goody-two-shoes girls. I thought they were all losers and stoners. But when her marriage fell apart, she says her entire life slipped out of focus. I was just completely disabled by a crippling depression, a crippling anxiety disorder. Cheryl needed an escape. She tried prescription drugs, but popping Prozac to get up and Xanax to come down every day felt more like a prison than a panacea. I went from being a very active mom to pretty much being bedridden. So one day I was at my therapist's office, and I told him, I said, 'Please help me get my life back.' And one day he said, 'Lady...' (CHUCKLES) It was kinda like, 'I'm tired hearing about this.' He said, 'You need to smoke a joint.' Are you serious? Are you serious? I'm dead serious. And I looked at him` 'You need to smoke a joint'? In utter disbelief, Cheryl said she watched as her own shrink rolled her a joint. I felt kinda stupid, cos I was 36 years old and never smoked a joint, as I wasn't even sure how to do it. So I took a` a hit off of it, and, literally, for the first time in probably eight, nine months, I was smiling and happy, and I was, like, 'This is really great!' But critics might say, 'Yes, you are high.' I was definitely medicated, but I will tell you that I felt better having two puffs of cannabis at that time than I had ever had any kind of results with pharmaceuticals. Cheryl's daughter Amy agrees. I felt like my mom was checked out on prescription pills. It was like living with a zombie. But when she would smoke, she was smiling, she was connecting with us. It felt like we had our mom back. So you didn't feel like you had your mom back an impaired mom or...? So you didn't feel like you had your mom back an impaired mom or...? No. No, no, no. Now Cheryl has recruited fellow marijuana moms like Simmi, Diane and Katherine to come out of the closet and help her in her cannabis crusade. This is a lifestyle choice. My body, my choice ` how I choose to medicate. But you guys aren't arguing that it's healthy. I mean, it's not good for you` ALL PROTEST It was discovered today it would be a superfood. Before medical marijuana, they say they felt trapped in a fog of stress and anxiety. Simmi Dhillon says just one joint helped her escape a world of pain and pills. Her husband, a police officer, was stunned. But not for the reason you might think. He's, like, 'Oh my God. My wife is back.' I was a completely different human being for seven years. Looking back now, I should not have been driving, should not have been caring for my child. Now I'm completely connected to him. Weed-smoking women have come a long way, baby, from the reefer madness to dope-dealing housewives. Now medical marijuana is legal in 18 states. But parenting and pot? That's still taboo. So what would all of you say to people who think out there, 'You gotta be kidding me'? I mean, you know... 'These ladies are...' I'm going to tell it from the point of view of my 10-year-old child. So I'm going to medicate. When I'm in pain, I'm in bed for days. I don't talk, I'm miserable. My son will come up to me and say, 'Mom, it's time to medicate. 'Go get some cannabis. 'Come back to us.' That's what I tell you. If your 10-year-old child is OK with it, I think adults should be OK with it. But do the kids see them as role models? Well, Diane has two boys ` 20 and 22. One started using before she did. The other steers clear, but understands why she uses pot. Amy, 32, who has watched her mother medicate for the last decade, just started hitting the vaporiser three weeks ago. But you've heard the arguments, which is that marijuana is the gateway drug. Yes, I've heard that it's a gateway drug. But I define it as my exit drug. Because compared to what I was doing before ` wow, I'm a lot less stoned now. You know, I have to admit ` I was a sceptic too. I would have been one of those moms watching this right now and said, 'That woman's out of her mind.' It's up to the person to be a responsible parent. Being responsible also means being healthy. And many of these moms choose to grow their own marijuana. This is Cheryl at her pot farm, where she harvests her THC with TLC, right next to the tomatoes and the zucchini. You'll notice these moms use the phrase 'medicate', not 'get stoned'. They claim they don't get so baked that they can't care for their children, drive safely, work a demanding job or function during, say, a network news interview. Have any of you guys done any pot today? Right before I sat down. Coming over here, I was really tense, really nervous, and so literally just one inhale` Just inhale? > Just inhale? > Just one inhale. That was it. But, I mean, as soon as she medicates, instant results ` calm, cool, collected, smiling. We did witness a small case of the giggles later that evening at Cheryl's home... (GIGGLES) ...at that potluck party, where chef David Shonal's prepared a gourmet meal with the help of that special ingredient. But if this party were a bake sale, Cheryl would be in big trouble. Marijuana is still an illegal narcotic in the eyes of the federal government. Are you ever afraid, given the fact that you grow it? And it's legal in California but illegal federally? Every single time I do an interview, I` I get nervous because I wonder, 'Is this gonna be the day 'that the federal government's gonna make an example out of me and throw me in jail?' It's scary. Super scary when she considers recent headlines. Prosecutors say this mother-of-three is no different than a Colombian drug lord. What do you hope to change about the way America looks at this plant? I remember thinking, you know, 'Why are you gonna go on national television 'and let everyone know that you smoke pot?' And it's, 'You know what? It's because it's the right thing to do.' I wanna be able to do something that, you know, makes a difference in people's lives. Next on 20/20 ` angels of charity who know the secret to opening a man's wallet. Do they really get these attendees to dig a little deeper? Oh yeah. OK. 103. What led you to make such a generous donation a moment ago? What led you to make such a generous donation a moment ago? Sucker for a pretty face. A trio of crusading glamour goddesses fighting for what's right. Remind you of anything? But these aren't Charlie's Angels. They're the Charity Angels ` accelerated fundraising sirens for hire. Hello again. The old adage 'sex sells' apparently holds true even for charity fundraising. Los Angeles-based company Charity Angels only hires attractive women in a bid to get wealthy men to part with their cash at philanthropic events ` from golf tournaments to black-tie galas and cancer fundraisers. Chris Connelly reports. UPBEAT MUSIC Seaside Marina del Rey ` ever a magnet for LA's affluent... UPBEAT MUSIC ...ready to dress up and raise a glass on an evening out. No surprise that mingling with the well-heeled is a high-heeled gaggle of gorgeous young women,... # Let's go. # ...for whom this gathering of the wealthy is a target-rich environment. But they aren't looking for a hot car or home in the hills. They're after these rich guys' wallets, not to do well, but to do good. Make sure it's a winner. There's Christina at the front. Kristen at the board. Lindsay too. One is 100. Two for 150 or three for 200. And this is a benefit for charity, so they're in sell mode... This is a third of the items that right now. ...while rocking their je ne sais quoi, nudging those once reluctant donors to hand over those precious credit cards and give till it hurts so good. There we go. Do they really get these attendees to dig a little deeper? Oh yeah. OK. 103. What led you to make such a generous donation a moment ago? What led you to make such a generous donation a moment ago? Sucker for a pretty face. A trio of crusading glamour goddesses fighting for what's right. Remind you of anything? But these aren't Charlie's Angels. They're the Charity Angels ` accelerated fundraising sirens for hire, putting to work their IQs, their TLC and the LBDs. I don't think the approach would be quite the same if we came in some overalls and a` a hard hat. But it could. I mean, it might be a cute look. $50,000! Prying open like oysters those bountiful billfolds and putting the 'ahh' in not-for-profit. Thank you so much. As you can see, all of the Charity Angels are beautiful on the exterior. But they are far more beautiful on the interior than you can ever possibly imagine. They're beautiful, they're brilliant, and they work for her. Angels. Angels. ANGELS: Yes, Melissa? You're going to the Beverly Hills Hotel to raise money for the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles. Model-turned-philanthropic powerhouse Mellissa Nielsen ` in 10 years, she's guided her Charity Angels concept to a $10 million gross while amping up many benefits' bottom lines. By what percentage can you increase what they would normally make at a fundraiser? 60% to 100%. 60% to 100%. Not 10,... not 20. 60% to 100%. 60% to 100%. So how do you like this knowledge she brought? Mellissa pays each of her Angels a flat rate of $30 an hour. She rocks 150 benefits a year. Please, please. The Charity Angels are walking around right now. Open your wallets. You don't right away ask them for money. I wanna get to know them` Are you looking at that person just like you're looking at me now? Are you looking at that person just like you're looking at me now? ALL LAUGH I feel my hand going for my wallet even as you speak. Give me your wallet! Give me your wallet! I'll spend your money. # Girl, I didn't know you could get down like that. # Ah, but don't confuse these 'girl, I didn't know you could get down like that' independent women with booth babes ` those 'so, do you come with that car' convention centre cutie-pies who are ogled but not heard. No. That's not` I don't ever wanna be in that light. Not everyone has gotten the memo, like on the golf course. We have a Lakers game ` two tickets to that, with an Apple iPad. A date` A date with, uh, you? A date` A date with, uh, you? Sure, I'll come` A date` A date with, uh, you? Sure, I'll come` Is that too expensive? When something is pretty or looks nice, people are` are interested. She doesn't have to do anything except stand there` She doesn't have to do anything except stand there` (LAUGHS) ...and look as gorgeous as she is. And she knows I melt to jelly, open my wallet. Appreciative banter comes with their asking for money missions. But while all angels have wings, they also have limits. That might cost you more. What if they ask for an email or phone number for one of your Angels? No. We don't date clients. Or if somebody asks for a hug? I-I hug everyone. You don't even have to ask. We` We smile, we hug. Somebody asks for a little kiss? Somebody asks for a little kiss? ALL: No. Unless it's a sweet old lady. Unless it's a sweet old lady. (LAUGHS) Unless it's a sweet old lady. (LAUGHS) Yeah. If we should sell out this board... Her company is not paid on commission, yet at zero hour, no one closes out a benefit like Mellissa does. 5000. Thank you, sir. The evening's final take ` $43,000 ` more than twice the 20 grand initially hoped for. Another win for this comely coterie and their forthright leader. CHARLIE: Angels, I've called to tell you how proud I am of you. It was a tough assignment. You handled yourselves very well. How am I possibly going to say no to someone like you or one of your Angels? You don't. (LAUGHS) We will find you. (LAUGHS) BOOM! Next up on 20/20 ` even from jail, the leader of the FLDS Church manages his flock with an iron fist and a warped mind. Even after being imprisoned for life for the sexual abuse of young girls, a 20/20 investigation revealed that Jeffs still controls every aspect of his peoples' lives from behind prison walls. Now it is down that you cannot eat corn. No sex between husband and wife. He's elected 15 men to father all the children in the community. I don't see why I should have to miss out just because I haven't met the right person. Welcome back. Deep in the desert, on the border between Utah and Arizona, is something of a hidden world within modern America. Colorado City is home to the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints, the largest polygamous community in America. Tonight's report follows one boy's path to freedom as he struggles to survive in the outside; in a world he's been taught will be his damnation. Let's go get the keg. This may look like an ordinary teenage rite of passage ` drinking and flirting by the light of a summer bonfire. But these teens are members of a radical religious sect, and attending this secret party is their only escape from the strict rules of their church. There's a reason the young boys go out at night, and the young girls... go to those parties. It's because they can drink, they can be themselves, and they can put away all that stress. The more beer they drink, the farther away their stress goes. (WHOOPS) To attend this party is to become what's called a Son of Perdition. Son of Perdition means you are Satan's property and that you will burn in hell when you leave this life... for what you have done. GIRL: I love you guys! For these teenagers, this is only a temporary refuge. But 18-year-old Willy Steed was determined to escape from the home he says was more like a prison. I realised I was in the wrong spot, in the wrong place; that I had to get out and be` be who I was and not who everyone wanted me to be. His journey to becoming the confident young man he is today is a remarkable and dramatic transformation. This story of courage begins in a secretive world few outsiders have entered ` a tiny desert town in Arizona called Colorado City. It's a hidden world within modern America. To live here is to turn back the clock 100 years. No internet, no television, no contact with the outside world. Willy was once part of a radical splinter group of the mainstream Mormon church that practises polygamy. It's called the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints, or FLDS. On the surface, life seems almost normal ` boys roughhousing along a dusty trail; children cooling off on a hot summer day; a father coaching his children on the finer points of an all-American sport. KIDS YELL But behind this facade of normalcy is something you can't see: every aspect of this family's life ` what they wear, what they eat, even who they marry, is controlled by the man they call their 'prophet' ` Warren Jeffs. JEFFS (RECORDING): Obey the prophet when he speaks, and you'll be blessed. Disobey him ` it is death. Even after being imprisoned for life for the sexual abuse of young girls, a 20/20 investigation revealed that Jeffs still controls every aspect of his peoples' lives from behind prison walls. It started when he ordered his followers to destroy all their children's toys. At home, many couldn't have any toys. You couldn't ride bikes either. I didn't get to ride` a chance to ride mine before I gave it away. Over the past two years, he's issued hundreds of increasingly bizarre edicts to his followers. Now it is down that you cannot eat corn. No sex between husband and wife. He's elected 15 men to father all the children in the community. If a woman wants to have a baby or whatever, she has to get one of those 15 men. But then she has to have two other men with one of the 15 men in the room to witness. Willy agreed to be our guide through the strange and clandestine world that was once his home. Everywhere around us, there was stony silence. Is Warren Jeffs in charge? Even children are taught to distrust outsiders. CHILDREN GIGGLE No one would answer any questions. Just a simple question. Hey, just trying to find out` What are you doing? Excuse me! Excuse me. Hello! Willy knew there was no way here for him but the FLDS way; no road out but to run away. It's like you're under a... a wall that's just` just toppling on top of you. But you can't hold it. And the church and everything is just feeding that wall with weight. He escaped with the help of a group called Holding Out Help ` a kind of underground railroad for those leaving polygamous groups. They find him a home with Pam and Ron Jansen. Very first thing we start with. While helping him write his first resume, Pam discovers something shocking. You want me to write it down, I'll write it down. > Willy can't read. Like most boys in the FLDS, he was pulled out of grade school to work. Did you realise how little you knew? Yes, I did. Being in that religion, I knew that I was going nowhere. I wasn't growing in life. I couldn't change because, for instance, I didn't know how to change. Mall. Wall. But change doesn't come easy. When he starts his first reading lesson, the going is tough. Sound? Buh. Buh. Duh. Buh. Duh. < Duh. < Dodge? < Dodge? Close. < Dog? No, no. < Dog? No, no. No, that's right. Dog. And then...? < Dogs. < Dogs. Good. Willie's reading level is that of a 6-year-old child. I should have learnt this in first grade. This is good speed. You're doing good. Despite that frustration, it's been a year of so many firsts. SCREAMING The thrill of his first ride on a rollercoaster, the triumph of balancing on a wakeboard, the brave new world of Facebook. And he's made some new friends who've opened new doors of possibility. Just last month, a photographer spotted his potential and brought him in for a photo shoot. # I'm sexy and I know it. # Now for the first time, he dances to the pop songs that were once forbidden by the FLDS. Is there a new career on his horizon? CAMERA SNAPS Someone saw me for who I was and singled me out and picked me because of that. All my life, I've never really believed in myself. It was so easy for me to get lost in the crowd of family. But out here, it's so easy to be seen in a crowd... and not get lost. Presents for the birthday boy. As he celebrates his 19th birthday, he knows he's come so far. < OK, so, here, you read that. OK. (READS) Happy birthday,... soon. < Son. < Son. < Son. What have you learned about yourself since leaving the FLDS? I've learned that... I had the guts to stand up for myself. I learned that I can walk away from life and I can leave everything behind. CHEERING, APPLAUSE Next on 20/20 ` the Latino actresses taking over the screens of America in a scandalous new drama. Really? Maids? Like, that's how we're gonna get our show? Um, but then when I thought about it, I thought, 'Wait a minute. Why wouldn't this story be told? 'You know, this is such a real part of life.' The five of us meet ` Ana, Roselyn, Dania and Edy ` and, uh, we're making television history. SING-SONGY: Rock the house. I don't see why I should have to miss out just because I haven't met the right person. Welcome back. Scandal on top of scandal on top of sexy scandal. If you've caught any of the new series Devious Maids, you'll know this show has it all - the richy rich and the maids who have to do their dirty work. Well, Erin Conroy went to LA and met some of the maids in real-life and found that despite the show's over-the-top nature, it's also achieved something very meaningful for the cast. I think what you people do is heroic. You wash clothes you can't afford. You polish silver you will never dine with. You mop floors for people who don't bother to learn your last name, and still, you dare to dream of a better life. I am in awe of your determination to succeed in this great country of ours. That said, if you don't stop screwing my husband, I'm going to have you deported. It looks a bit like Desperate Housewives. It's actually made by the same guy. But to understand this show, take Desperate Housewives, turn it upside-down and see the same pish-posh world through the eyes of the maids. Devious maids, at that. Mum, you were dating our pool boy? Mum, you were dating our pool boy? I've always been partial to Armenians. You know that. Only this one turned out to be so cruel. He said he was embarrassed to introduce me to his friends. He said I looked like I was 40. He said I looked like I was 40. Well, that's not bad since you're almost 60. The cast of Devious Maids ` some recognisable. Judy Reyes, who was Nurse Carla in Scrubs. When I first met Chris Turk, I knew this was a guy I could party with. And Ana Ortiz, Ugly Betty's sister. Bitch, out my house! Others not yet familiar. Hey, anyone want grapes? But all of them ` and this is a first for a mainstream American show ` are Latino. I heard the title, and I thought, 'Really? Maids? Like, that's how we're gonna get our show?' Um, but then when I thought about it, I thought, 'Wait a minute. Uh, why wouldn't this story be told 'with, you know, this is such a real part of life.' The five of us meet ` Ana, Roselyn, Dania and Edy ` and, uh, we're making television history. SING-SONGY: Rock the house. SING-SONGY: Rock the house. And how does that feel? SING-SONGY: Rock the house. And how does that feel? It feels exciting. I should have been born rich. I should have been born rich. We're right there with you. And it means they're no longer competing for roles. We've lost jobs to each other all the time. Was it always competitive? Was it always competitive? Oh my God. Well, not competitive in a bad way, you know? Whenever we went into a room and we saw the other one, I was, like, 'Oh, forget it. 'Now I'm really gonna have to work this hard because this bitch is here.' I was, like, 'Oh fuck. Ana was here. Oh, forget about it.' It's far from being a history lesson. Oh, the cavalry has arrived! But the show does explore the reality of Latino women employed as domestic workers, which has a personal connection. My mum was a, uh, a maid and a nanny for many years. I have a 19-year-old daughter on the show. So I get to play, uh, play on my historical relationship with my mum. I mean, you now are in a position with some money and stuff like that. Do you hire people to work in your home? Definitely. (CHUCKLES) Definitely, and you know, I also, I mean, my grandmother was a domestic worker. My aunts were all domestic workers. I know what that life is about. And, yes, I have a woman who helps me, um, clean my house and look after my two children. Have you ever felt like pulling any of that diva business with your staff? That's right. Can you imagine? No. Maybe it's because of my experience, but the woman that I do have in our house ` my staff ` has become part of our family. So, um, yeah, she would be the first person to be, like, 'Uh, no.' (CHUCKLES) No serious stance on the issue, though. It's a completely over-the-top comical approach. I could come clean her house. I mean, if you're having trouble finding someone. That's so sweet. Thank you, Lupe. That's so sweet. Thank you, Lupe. It's Marisol. I thought her name was Lupe. I thought her name was Lupe. That was the previous maid. I thought her name was Lupe. That was the previous maid. Oh, well, you could be her twin. She looks nothing like Lupe. She looks nothing like Lupe. I thought she had work done. She looks nothing like Lupe. I thought she had work done. You thought she had plastic surgery? For God's sake. Poor people like to be pretty too. Does this kind of stuff actually happen in America? Um, I imagine that it does. The job, I think, of our show is also to take reality and heighten it. So I think maybe it's not that blatant, uh, but I think that element is there. Much of the show plays out in the extravagant homes of their excruciating employers. This new therapist is a genius. He could tell that I needed to be on mood stabilisers within five minutes of meeting me. It took him that long? But then the maids get to meet and debrief. Hi. Their first language, Spanish, is spoken in the show and on set when necessary. Marc Cherry doesn't speak any Spanish, so we could always just sort of, like, gossip. That's awesome. That's awesome. It's really fun. And he's, like, 'What are you guys talking about?' I'm, like, 'Nothing.' Stop yelling. She's terrified. Tell him you're terrified. Stop yelling. She's terrified. Tell him you're terrified. Stop telling her what to say! The first series is just kicking off here, but if it gets popular enough... We hope to get to do a junket in NZ. We hope to get to do a junket in NZ. Yes, please come. Have you ever been? I've never been. I have tons of friends who've shot films there, but I've never been. You could get a role in The Hobbit. You've got hairy feet, hairy toes, by any chance? I'm pretty sure. I'm pretty sure. Yeah, there you go. (CHUCKLES) And I do wax my toes. (CHUCKLES) And I do wax my toes. (CHUCKLES) Let them grow, and you might be a shoo-in. What a question. 'Have you got hairy feet?' Now, if you want to see any of tonight's stories again, including that one, head to our website: You can also email us at: Or, of course, go to our Facebook page: And let us know your thoughts on tonight's show. Well, thanks for all your feedback. We're interested in your stories, too, of course. So keep those ideas coming in. Well, that's our show for tonight. Thanks for joining us.