Not enough male victims come forward about sexual abuse and violence, so we listen to the voices of women for guidance.
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“To encourage people, boys and girls, to come forward about sexual abuse and violence.”
Life can knock you sometimes—so far down that you convince yourself you can’t get back up. Life can try to steal from you ad take away everything you own. You wait for the sun to rise, but it doesn’t come. So, you make the decision to pick up the pieces of whatever is left and do something about it.
An 18-year-old girl simply known as Lena looks normal in the video above. She wears jeans, a T-shirt and jewelry—and has what many would call a tomboy haircut. If you peel back her layers, however, you’ll find a survivor.
Lena has been a victim of sexual and domestic abuse while battling Hodgkin’s lymphoma—an aggressive form of cancer. When she was recently given the opportunity to fulfill a dream by The Make-A-Wish Foundation, she didn’t ask for the typical trip to Disney World, a car or anything a teenager would normally ask for.
Instead, she rounded up her two best friends—Peach and Mariah—and asked for a photo shoot done by a professional photographer and an article in a magazine to raise awareness about how she has dealt with cancer–and how her journey led her to open up about her abusive childhood with her younger sister and brother.
In the video shown above, Lena recalls that her father has had a long-standing history of being abusive, and that he “could even find a way to abuse us in front of people without anybody noticing.” She then reveals that both Peach and Mariah were also sexually and domestically abused by separate individuals, which gives way to the two girls sharing their experiences in the video as well.
The camera pans to a wide view of what looks to be Lena’s bedroom, but is actually a one-room complex where she and her siblings stay with their mother. Lena explains that the space was given to them, so they could “stay close to the hospital”, assumingly where her cancer can be treated.
She offers a comment about her condition that paints an entire picture: “When I was diagnosed was cancer, I really didn’t think much about it. It wasn’t that big of a deal to me, and from everything I’ve been through, I’ve gotten to the point where it’s like, ‘It happened. So what?’
Lena’s story of strength, selflessness and determination first appeared on Collectively.org in mid-July before being covered by Upworthy.com a short time later.
This girl is not only the picture of strength, but she’s also a guardian angel on Earth—carrying out a message of hope and goodness. So, I’ll leave you with this:
What would you do if you had one wish?
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“Not enough male victims come forward about sexual abuse and violence, so we listen to the voices of women for guidance.”
I don’t think this is true. I think society simply does not hear their voices. I’ve heard many men ask where the shelters for men are. Have you seen them built? I’ve heard men say they’ve called a rape or DV hotline and were referred to sources to help abusers not offend. It’s as if society is simply telling men to give another answer or is telling men they don’t want to hear it.
“When I was diagnosed with cancer….” A blow like a cancer diagnosis can knock you over…once you get back on your feet, you feel stronger….it helped me to confront a lot of issues that I had previously been afraid to speak up about….I had to…I was running out of time….I confronted my ex-abuser through a third party (at his workplace) about abuse that occurred long ago…I was in fear of him making a re-appearance in my life and possibly endangering my family….I don’t think he will dare to come near me again if he values being employed….I am not sure… Read more »