Born to Analise Ragsdill at the age of nineteen, Poppy Ragsdill was an unwanted and unplanned child from the beginning. From birth, Poppy had experienced adversity beyond what was normal for most children. Analise was wholly unprepared for children, struggling with substance use while trying to raise her daughter. At the age of one year and six months, Poppy was removed from her biological mother's home and placed in foster care. Bruce and Sybil Handish took Poppy in, choosing to have her and her alone as their sole child.

From the time she was placed in foster care until she was effectively an adult, Poppy bounced from her biological mother's home to her foster family, experiencing various traumas. Although her mother struggled regularly with heroin use, Poppy never felt any particular urge to indulge in the behaviors herself. In some regards, Poppy was far too proud to cause herself any harm, and therefore refused to be a "Loser" like her mother.

Analise showed disconnected affection towards Poppy whenever she was in her care. Poppy would go many days without eating, having to sleep on the couch as her mother could only afford one bedroom apartments. When she was placed in her foster family, and her mother no longer had parental rights (when Poppy was at the age of six), Bruce and Sybil Handish took her in while she was placed into a potential adoption program. Despite appearances, the Handishes were not as kind-hearted as they tried to appear.

From the age of seven, Poppy was forced into silence by her foster parents. The young girl, who had known nothing but despair throughout her life, was subjected to sexualization from both foster parents. She was often recorded engaging in adult, sexual activities which were then distributed among the filth of society for money. Poppy, who became emotionally stunted and cloistered compared to other children her age, grew resentful and bitter. The exploitation slowed to a halt once she began puberty and developed a more adult body type. Despite being the victim of child sexual abuse, Poppy pushed forward despite her traumas. Almost to the day that she had turned fifteen, Poppy became employed, saved money, and moved out by the time she was eighteen years of age.

Despite having been victimized for nearly a decade, Poppy did not allow this to define her. Continuing to work while living below her means, Poppy was able to support herself through college followed by graduate school, and ultimately obtaining her doctorate in chemistry. It wasn't until her late twenties that she truly began to wonder who her biological father was, curious as to why he had never so much as shown his face. In taking time to study genetics, Poppy traced her origins back to a man named Dio Brando -- somebody who existed seemingly in the 1880s.

Upon discovering that she had a slew of half-brothers, Poppy then sought out to not only meet them, but to learn how their shared father had been. This gave Poppy a new purpose, to discover who her biological father was, and how he could have done so when he had been born so long ago. While researching her father's lineage, Poppy came to understand his vampiric nature, his power, and his notoriety. This continued to strengthen her resolve to further understand who she was, and where she came from.