Sarah Klein, first known Larry Nassar abuse survivor, writes letter to younger self in "Note to Self": "You will finally find your voice"

Tuesday marks fives years since Larry Nassar, the former team doctor for USA Gymnastics, was sentenced for sexually abusing hundreds of female athletes over several decades under the guise of medical treatment. He is spending his life in prison after pleading guilty to multiple child pornography and sexual abuse charges.

Sarah Klein is the first known victim of Nassar. Now a powerful attorney, Klein shares a moving note to her younger self about perseverance and how she took control of her own story in the "CBS Mornings" series "Note to Self." 

Hi Little Sarah, 

Life is good in Lansing, Michigan, where kids play outside until it gets dark, and folks leave their doors unlocked. You are eight years old. Your smile is vibrant and you're still working hard on losing those last few baby teeth! You love school, playing with your big brother Aaron, riding bikes and roller skating. 

When the girl down the street invites you to "Bring-A-Friend Day" at her gymnastics club, you have so much fun bouncing on the trampoline and attempting cartwheels that you beg to sign up for lessons. 

One day, a man in his 20s named Larry Nassar will volunteer as your team's athletic trainer. Young Larry will not yet have started medical school at Michigan State University nor traveled to the Olympic Games as head doctor for Team USA. 

Your coach, John Geddert, will go on to become the head coach of the "Fierce Five" in the Olympics — bringing home the gold medal in 2012. 

Coach John will welcome Larry and set him up in a back room. It is here that Larry will begin "medically treating" you and many of the other little girls in leotards. You will not understand that Larry's "treatment" is not a legit medical procedure but is in fact the sexual abuse of a child.

Coach John will mentally and physically break you down. He will force you to practice on broken bones. He will berate you and your teammates. Larry will play the good cop to Coach John's bad cop. 

When you are 12 and shaking because Coach John just pushed your face into your own anxiety-induced puddle of vomit, Larry will be there with a warm hug. He will tell you he's "got you," "trust him." And you will. 

But your once bright and carefree smile will fade. You will live in a state of fear and hypervigilance as you get older. You'll hardly leave your apartment, slipping deeper into depression. 

Your body will begin to break down, too. You'll be diagnosed with stage 4 endometriosis and endure two complete pelvic reconstructive surgeries.

You'll still believe that Coach John's abuse was tough love and Larry adored you, protected you. 

The next time you see Larry, you'll be standing in front of him in a court of law — now with the word defendant attached to his name.

You and 155 others will deliver victim impact statements as he is sentenced to up to 175 years in prison for sexually abusing you and hundreds of little girls under the guise of medical treatment. You'll walk up to that podium determined to confront your abuser but not ready to show your face to the world. 

You will finally find your voice. 

You won't get the same closure with Coach John. He will die by suicide on the day he is charged with 24 counts of physically, emotionally and sexually abusing his athletes. 

When ESPN asks you to accept the 2018 Arthur Ashe Award for Courage, you make the bold and brave decision to come forward publicly. You no longer live in shame.

You now become the leading attorney in the country representing survivors of sexual abuse. You and your colleagues will recover billions of dollars for your clients as you take on high-profile cases. You. Save. Lives. 

You'll appear on the hit docu-series "Cheer." You will give a Ted Talk met with a standing ovation and your story will be featured in The New York Times bestseller "The Gift of Forgiveness." 

You will live and lawyer with love. 

Besides being an outspoken advocate, your most important job is "Mother," to two little girls. The baby is two and her big sister is seven, just a year shy of your age when you first met Larry Nassar. 

And as she approaches the age your life took its most difficult turn, you will be grateful you found purpose in your suffering. Kids will be safer because you exist.

Your kids will be safer because you exist. 

You are changing the world for the better, sweet Sarah, one survivor at a time.