Posted on 09/29/2018 8:52:08 PM PDT by kathsua
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) - The trauma of being raped can be shattering, leaving a victim feeling alone or ashamed.
For Ashley Dowell, it took time and strength to not allow the trauma to control who she was and who she wanted to come.
To see her with Leilana, her 8-year-old daughter, she looks like an everyday mom. However, the trauma from her past is much more complicated.
"Even at the time, I didn't really say to myself what actually happened," shared Dowell.
It was the summer after eighth grade when Dowell, now 23-years-old, was raped by someone she knew.
"I got pregnant," she said.
Dowell was a freshman and Wichita North High School when she had her beautiful daughter.
photo Ashley Dowell spends time with her 8-year-old daugher Leilana. Ashley had Leilana when she was a freshman in high school. (KSN Photo) "Obviously, I wouldn't take it back because I love her to death," Dowell said smiling.
In high school, she faced challenges her classmates could never understand.
Dowell recalled always being exhausted and barely making it through the school day.
"My mental health was terrible," she said. "I had undiagnosed mental health stuff at the time."
(Excerpt) Read more at ksn.com ...
Curious timing on the publishing date. If I didn’t know better I would suspect there were “heroic rape victim” stories already in the can.
Nah.
I’m almost surprised there haven’t been ice-pick murders focused on right now, just for the impact. Who cares, Kavanaugh is fair game to the Left.
Some of these rape victims ought to have a chat with Elizabeth Smart, who endured a horrific one-year ordeal of rape and indignities at the hands of her kidnapper and has steadfastly refused to play the victim card.
Don’t hold your breath waiting for the media to do interviews with the Duke lacrosse players.
How about some articles on men falsely accused of rape, just for the sake of equal time.
If there’s one thing I learned in “To Kill A Mockingbird”, it’s that women never lie about rape.
Take note. Real victims don’t play the victim card. When you are a victim of someone else, it means they not only had power over you then, it means they have power over you now. Real victims don’t let the perpetrators have power over them now. Real victims fight hard to survive an ordeal, and then put it behind them as best as they can. They move on. They don’t want to stay victims; they want to be survivors. Real victims don’t want to continue to live in the hell of a bad past experience.
Victims can go on to have a good life, but they NEVER get over it.
Thanks Jeff. I’ll be sure to remember that. “:^)
It’s amazing the double standards out there.
Agreed...
Yes, victims can get over it. Choosing to not get over it is choosing to allow the perpetrator to live in your head.
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