By the time I was 19 years old I had already finished college and was hired immediately working in pediatrics three days a week and plastic surgery the other days. I was nervous because I didn’t know if pediatrics was a good fit or not but I was really excited to work plastic surgery so I accepted the offer. I also wasn’t sure that I was ready to be away from my first born so soon, he was only a couple months old. But it worked, and slowly my life had become everything I had ever hoped for! I had my first born child, a great career, a car and my high school sweetheart and I bought our first home! If you knew me then, you would probably say that I was, what most people who knew me would say “Bubbly”. I spent a lot of time with my family, and the time I wasn’t with them I was with my boyfriends family.
On my 21st birthday celebration, things took a turn for the worst when I was drugged beaten and raped. It all started June 28th, just a regular Saturday no different than any other. I spent the day down at “Hoopfest” with my boyfriend’s family, as we did every year. My son and I watched his daddy play in the 3 on 3 basketball tournament with the family, then went to have some beers and BBQ by the pool. Every weekend in the summer we had pool parties and family get together at his parents house. After the BBQ, a friend of the friends of the family asked if we wanted to go downtown to celebrate.
My boyfriend had been drinking and was already passed the point of going out anywhere so he stayed with our son at his parents. Long story short, somehow at the bar we went to, I was drugged. (At this point I had only had 1 Budweiser earlier that day when the tournament was over, and had 1 shot of tequila on the way home to the BBQ.) I went to get us both a beer, and I guess I just took off. I don’t remember much of this, but this is what she had later said. I don’t remember really anything except walking a lot, I remember a man was walking with me at some point. I also remember fighting, or trying to fight but that was about it, until I woke up.
I was on the porch of an abandon home, I was in so much pain I could hardly move, and still at that point didn’t know where I was, and as crazy as it sounds, I wasn’t sure really who I was. I looked around trying to figure things out and there was a man outside on the porch too. I didn’t remember this being the same man who was with me walking because I didn’t remember any of that when I first woke up. He asked if I was hungry. Slowly I had the feeling I was in a lot of danger. I got up and ran, not sure where I was going but running away from where I was and whoever I was with. As I took off I saw him run the other direction. I went to the closest home I could find and banged on the door. A woman who had been in a robe with a towel on her head opened the door, and looked at me concerned and in shock. I told her I thought I had been raped. She lead me inside and asked if I wanted to use her phone. I could only imagine what she thought, seeing me beaten pretty bad, blood all over, dirt and weeds in my hair and clothes. All I wanted was to go home where I knew I would be safe and with my boyfriend and my son. I called my boyfriend immediately, I didn’t know what to even say.
He sounded so sad and asked where I had been, I told him I didn’t know, which was the truth. The lady had her son take me home which happened to be just within miles of where I lived. When he dropped me off, I thanked him and took off a flannel button up I had been wearing. It stunk so bad, and I figured it must have been the man’s who had just ruined my life. I handed it to the kid and told him to keep it in case the police wanted it. I went inside my house and my boyfriend looked at me and I could see the confusion in his eyes, I told him I think I was raped. Neither of us had ever known this to happen to anyone and didn’t know what to do. He didn’t want our son to see me looking like I did because he didn’t want it to scare him, my son was 2 and a half, and not once had I left him over night without me. I called my mom even though I knew she we working at the time. She worked at the prison a good 45 minutes away but was there to pick me up in no more than 20. We went to the hospital for a rape kit, the police showed up and took pictures, took my clothes and took a report.
That was the beginning of my rock bottom. When I went to prison it saved my life, I programmed the whole time. I see my baby all the time but still not my oldest. I graduated probation early staying in compliance and I work full time and that keeps me stable but it’s going to take a miracle and some help to get my son back. Please, anything even one cent can add up. My son will be 13, it’s been 7 years since I’ve had him.
Please help us reunite. Thank you
