In May 2019, I experienced my worst fear which is possible death by asphyxia. Being asthmatic my whole life and knowing the feeling of not being able to catch my breath terrified me. On May 8th, 2019, my fear became a reality. My ex-boyfriend strangled me to the point where I passed out multiple times and truly believed I was going to die. I always chose to deny signs and symptoms of abuse because I was just happy to have someone to love me. He yelled and pulled my hair because he loved me is what I thought. I always made excuses for him. I didn’t want to be alone.
Domestic violence has been a generational curse in my family for as long as I can remember stemming from my great grandmother to my mother, was unspoken of, and no one ever took a stand. I joined Break the Silence of Domestic Violence 3 years later close to graduating nursing school because to this day I hear the words of the police officer that came to my home the day of the incident. This police officer looked me in the eye and told me with 100 percent seriousness and said, “You could have died today” and that is when the power of fight, the power of self-love, the power of determination, and breaking generational curses became by truest mission. I moved in one week and never looked back because I understood that I have the power to choose, and I am the voice of my voiceless 5 yr. old child. My child deserved a strong mom who would love herself and put us first. My healing has been eye-opening, hard, long and I have been able to incorporate a lot of self-accountable coping skills. I have been able to set boundaries and keep my great qualities of love, peace, advocacy & passion for mental health. I am four out of five semesters from finishing nursing school and my goal is to continue advocating for domestic violence, mental health, and breaking generational curses for survivors like myself to have the opportunities to become our best selves every day even on the hard days. My mission in volunteering is to reclaim my power while using positive coping skills and a listening ear to help other survivors reclaim their power as well.
