Survivor Stories

Leilani's Story

Leilani is an Indigenous CHamoru* and Kānaka Maoli woman from Guam, an activist, a life-long writer, and a survivor of sexual violence. “Regardless of what’s happened to me and what I’ve gone through, I’m still Leilani. Yes, this experience has changed me, but the core of who I am is there.”

Tagged in: Anxiety, Campus assault, College student, Depression, Giving back, Indigenous survivors, Intimate partner violence, NSAH, Panic attacks, PTSD, Stalking, Writers

Val’s Story

Val Hill has been sharing her story and supporting others as part of her healing journey. She was sexually assaulted by someone she considered a friend since childhood. “It wasn't a stranger in a back alley, it was someone I knew since I was 11 years old—someone I trusted. It’s made it hard to trust anyone again.”

Tagged in: Anxiety, Depression, Giving back, LGBTQ, Military Survivors, NSAH, Panic attacks, Pregnancy, PTSD, Seeking justice, Suicide, Therapy

Hannah’s Story

Hannah Rad was sexually assaulted by an acquaintance on her college campus during her first year. She didn’t want to tell anyone about what happened because she felt ashamed. “Being gay does not justify terrible things happening to you. Owning who you are and everything that makes you YOU is the first step in healing. You don’t need to be ashamed of what happened to you.”

Tagged in: Barriers to disclosing, Campus assault, College student, Forensic exam, LGBTQ, Music, NSAH, Religion, Therapy

Johnathon’s Story

Johnathon Cassidy was sexually assaulted by a stranger he met while at a local bar who put a date-rape drug in his drink. "Everyone always said ‘Go with Johnny, you’ll be safe with him.’ I’ve been told my entire life that it was impossible for this kind of thing to happen to me.”

Tagged in: Anxiety, Barriers to disclosing, Depression, Disordered eating, Drug-facilitated sexual assault, Gender nonconforming, PTSD, Self-care, Sleep disorders

Tasha's Story

Tasha Wilson was sexually assaulted by an acquaintance on her college campus. She did not feel comfortable reporting the assault to campus administration because she had heard about other students’ negative experiences in doing so. “It didn’t feel like a welcoming or safe environment to disclose. I didn’t know if there were even resources available.”

Tagged in: Anxiety, Campus assault, College student, Depression, Giving back, How to support survivors, Panic attacks, PTSD, Self-care, Stalking, Writers

Tarhata's Story

Tarhata Brazsal experienced rape and intimate partner violence from her high school boyfriend. After the relationship ended, Tarhata told her sister and cousin about what had happened. “Everyone was trying to make me do what they thought would help me. People were trying to force me to act in a certain way, but my sister didn’t. Because of that, she truly gave me my voice back.”

Tagged in: Anxiety, Depression, Disordered eating, Forensic exam, Giving back, How to support survivors, Intimate partner sexual violence, Intimate partner violence, Outdoors, PTSD, Suicide, Teenage survivors, Writers

Sarah's Story

Sarah Whitney was raped when she was 16. She told her then-boyfriend, who reacted in an extremely unsupportive and hurtful way—blaming her for the incident and breaking up with her on the spot. The reaction of the first person a survivor tells is pivotal and can have a huge effect on their healing. “I would like people to know that this is no one’s fault but the person who did it.”

Tagged in: Anxiety, Barriers to disclosing, Depression, How to support survivors, PTSD, Suicide, Teenage survivors, Therapy

Marissa’s Story

Marissa Hoechstetter was repeatedly sexually assaulted by the OB-GYN she saw during her pregnancy, the delivery of her twin daughters, and follow-up appointments. Marissa says it was hard for her to speak about the abuse at the beginning, but eventually she realized that sharing her story would allow her both to help others and to begin her own healing. “When I speak authentically and truthfully about my experience, I have power. I am not going away.”

Tagged in: Exercise, Giving back, Medical sexual abuse, Pregnancy, Seeking justice, Statute of limitations, Therapy

Christa's Story

Christa Hayburn was sexually assaulted by a superior at the Police Department where she served as a law enforcement officer. “I’m so glad I can be there for survivors. I will continue to advocate for change until true change takes place across the country. People in these institutions have to take sexual assault seriously and be more supportive of those who come forward.”

Tagged in: Barriers to disclosing, Depression, Exercise, Giving back, How to support survivors, Law enforcement sexual abuse, Outdoors, PTSD, Seeking justice, Self-care, Suicide, Therapy

Ethan's Story

Ethan Levine was sexually assaulted in high school by a friend of someone he was casually dating. “In the immediate aftermath of the first assault, my focus was on whether it was real and whether I was right about what had happened. I got hung up on the fact that what happened to me didn’t fit the definition of rape I had grown up hearing.”

Tagged in: Barriers to disclosing, Forensic exam, Giving back, How to support survivors, LGBTQ, Male survivors, Manipulation, NSAH, Self-care, Self-harm, Substance abuse, Teenage survivors, Therapy, Trans survivors

Survivor Stories

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