Finding Relief and Confronting Painful Memories of Abuse

Finding Relief and Confronting Painful Memories of Abuse
Approximately 20 percent of children living in the United States are victims of sexual abuse: innocent kids like Julie, whose life was shattered when she was 5 years old. Julie was sexually abused by her grandfather when she was only 5 years old. His threats of harm kept her silent about her abuse until middle school, when she finally told her teacher. She was admitted to therapy, but the trauma of her experience was so extreme that she could not complete the process. Her school performance declined, and she began misbehaving and fighting constantly with her parents. Eventually, she turned to drugs and cutting herself to cope with the pain. Julie experienced something no child should ever endure. Fortunately, and thanks to the support of friends like you, she found healing through LSF’s specialized Sexual/Physical Abuse Treatment Program. While Julie’s life spiraled out of control, her mother understood her daughter’s pain all too well. She, too, had been abused by the same man. Due to the paralyzing effect of her own scars, Julie’s mother remained helpless to intervene. By the time Julie reached high school, her parents feared she would either overdose on drugs or kill herself the next time she turned to cutting. In desperation, Julie’s mother took her to LSF’s specialized Sexual/Physical Abuse Treatment Program. There, Julie found support among a group of girls with similar stories of abuse, and she finally began to heal. After some time in treatment, Julie found new life. She began sleeping soundly at night, her grades improved dramatically, she built healthy friendships at school, and she discovered a new love of art. As Julie experienced healing from her pain, Julie’s mother found her own support in the non-offending caregiver groups. She realized that her own history of abuse had impacted her ability to protect her child. Through specialized treatment, she found healing for herself, as well as the strength to better love and protect her child in the future. Julie was robbed of her innocence and it nearly destroyed her life. But thanks to the support of friends like you, she found healing through LSF’s specialized Sexual/Physical Abuse Treatment Program. Your gift below will help more children, like Julie, find the healing they deserve. So thank you for helping to restore these precious lives. We’re grateful.