Jayme Closs' life looks very different after her 88 day abduction. And 7 women truly understand.

When Jayme Closs escaped in January after 88 days held captive, many rejoiced that her ordeal was over.

But as a group of women who also survived kidnappings say, it was only just beginning.

Thirteen-year-old Jayme was kidnapped and held hostage in a cabin for three months by 21-year-old Jake Patterson, after he shot Jayme’s father James, 56, and then killed her mother Denise, 46 on October 15 last year.

Elizabeth Smart talks about finding out Jayme Closs had escaped from her kidnapper for Smart Justice: The Jayme Closs Case. Post continues below video.

According to authorities, Patterson kept her trapped under his bed for as much as 12 hours at a time.

Jayme had tried to escape at least twice before January 10, when she was successful. Jayme had fled the house when Patterson was out and was found by a woman – Jeanne Nutter – walking her dog.

She was thin with matted hair. Despite the below-freezing temperature, she was dressed in a light jumper and pants. No gloves, no coat. The shoes on her feet appeared to be several sizes too large – they belonged to Patterson.

She was free. Safe. Reunited with family.

But her life would never be the same.

Months on, seven women - all kidnapping survivors - have united for the first time ever to share personal advice for Jayme to help her move forward by sharing their own stories of survival.

Elizabeth Smart, who was held captive for nine months as a 14 year old, brought together the women for Smart Justice: The Jayme Closs Case which will air in the US this weekend.

"I remember hearing the news and thinking "She did it! Another one of us got away,"' Smart said in the trailer of the the show.

"When I came home, my parents were waiting for me. But that didn't happen for Jayme," she continued. "Nothing prepares you for being kidnapped, and nothing prepares you for life after."

"Only survivors of abduction can truly understand her pain. We want to help her move forward."

Smart, together with survivors Gina DeJesus, Katie Beers, Kara Robinson, Alicia Kozakiewicz, Denise Huskins and Sarah Maynard, banded together for the show to give a new perspective on the horrific crime.

Of the seven women, Maynard's story is most similar to Jayme's. She was held captive for four days at the age of 13 when an intruder broke into her Ohio family home. Her kidnapper locked her in his basement after killing her mother, brother and neighbour.

During the show, Smart asks Maynard what advice she would give to Jayme.

"Of course we feel days where we feel hopeless and want to give up," she replied. "I'm sure all of us feel that way - but we can't."

Maynard said that Jayme had to "be the one willing to not give up".

The women agreed that although her abduction would undoubtedly shape Jayme's life, she could not let it define her.

In response, Smart described their group as "a sisterhood that's unlike any other".

"I feel that when we're rescued, that "Yay, happy ending, it's all over", literally the newspapers said that - "happy ending," recalled Kozakiewicz, who was kidnapped and tortured for four days in 2002 and whose her abductor streamed the abuse online. "It's not an ending. This book doesn't close and I just vanish."

In an Instagram post, Smart wrote that she hoped the show would touch survivors.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

I am so excited for this weekend! Make sure you tune to the Lifetime Channel this Saturday evening at 8pm. For the past few months I have been working with the lifetime channel to create “Smart Justice” a show all about what it takes to go from being a victim to a survivor. Each one of these women is a fellow abduction survivor and has gone on to triumph over their pasts and reclaim their lives. We discuss Jayme Closs and what some of the struggles are that she will face ahead. We review the investigation (not what happened to Jayme while in captivity, that is her story to share if she ever chooses to.) We each share our personal piece of advice for Jayme. My hope is that any survivor could watch this and walk away feeling that 1. They are not alone. 2. No matter what they have been through they can over come what has happened. And 3. Life is beautiful and meant to be lived, and just because something bad has happened it doesn’t mean that what happened has to define you.

A post shared by Elizabeth Smart (@elizabeth_smart_official) on Apr 23, 2019 at 7:51am PDT

"My hope is that any survivor could watch this and walk away feeling that 1. They are not alone. 2. No matter what they have been through they can over come what has happened. And 3. Life is beautiful and meant to be lived, and just because something bad has happened it doesn’t mean that what happened has to define you."