Kidnapping victims Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight made a YouTube video breaking their silence. The 3-minute, 30-second video posted Monday night on YouTube was a thank you to the public and a request for a little more privacy.

The kidnapping victims held captive in a Cleveland home for about a decade issued a video in which they thanked the public for the encouragement and financial support that is allowing them to restart their lives.

The victims were upbeat and seemed optimistic about their new lives even after what Amanda Berry called "the whole ordeal" and what Michelle Knight described as her trip "to hell and back."

In the YouTube video, none of the women had any visible scars of the abuse they said they suffered at the hands of Ariel Castro

Knight said in the video that she is building a "brand new life."

"I may have been through hell and back, but I am strong enough to walk through hell with a smile on my face and my head held high," she said, reading from a prepared statement.

"I will not let the situation define who I am. I will define the situation. I don't want to be consumed by hatred."

DeJesus' parents, Felix DeJesus and Nancy Ruiz, emotionally thanked the public for donations to a fund set up to help the women.

In addition, Ruiz encouraged parents with missing loved ones to reach out for assistance. "Count on your neighbors," she said. "Don't be afraid to ask for the help because help is available." Her message was heartfelt and her thanks to her neighbors was completely genuine.

Amanda Berry pleaded with the public for a little more privacy to get stronger and get over the ordeal a bit more.

These three women are so unbelievably brave. If they can get over such a horrific tragedy such as this, it shows how strong the human spirit really is and how together, as a community, anything is possible.