My story begin in 2011 when I was 19 years old I met a guy I thought was great although there were many red flags I didn't notice or was blind to them, six months into the relationship I was pregnant with our first child and that is when the physical abuse started which included hitting, kicking, choking and sexual abuse, I was isolated from my friends and I did my best to hide it from my family - on my due date I was choked that badly I passed out and was kicked in the legs and stomach multiple times- I did luckily have a healthy baby a week later, the abuse continued after the birth the worst of it was my lips being pulled apart to the point it tore all the skin and my lips are now permanently scared - the pain was worse then any beating and at that point I called the police - he was jailed for 6 months but upon his release I believed or fell for his lies that he had changed and let him into my life again, through assault I had another pregnancy and luckily another healthy baby - when I had my 2nd child while in hospital this man emptied my bank account and my oldest child's account which destroyed me but still I stayed, the abuse continued and the beatings got extreme when he started using the drug ice resulting in wrist injuries and injuries in my mouth which I will have for the rest of my life, the final straw was when he put a knife to my throat and was pushing it against me and punching me in the stomach and he threatened to burn my children alive, that night I was one of the lucky ones and was able to get to the police - he was jailed for close to two years within that time my father passed away and I knew I had to fully leave which took so much strength, upon his release I was stalked and had my house broken into and my photos stolen he was jailed again, It happened for three years.

I'm publicly sharing my story in the hope other women or men get out before its to late it took my father dying for me to gain the strength my mother had just buried my father she did not need to bury her daughter which she feared daily, people ask why I didn't leave- I feared shame and was scared he would hurt my family or friends, I now suffer PTSD

(Post traumatic Stress Disorder) and night terrors but with help I cope well and my children are safe and loved

Once a victim, always a survivor