Child abuse, both physical and sexual, is a difficult topic to discuss, but a young woman who walks to raise awareness about the issue actually lived it.
She's using her experiences to inspire a message of change across the state of Florida.
Lauren book founded a 15 hundred mile walk-a-thon, starting in Key West and ending February 22nd in Tallahassee. Though she says her shoes are worn, she adds that she'll fight for children until she doesn't need to fight anymore.
I wish we could eliminate my job...that we didn't really have to be here and do the things we do. That we could create a world where children could be children...because it shouldn't hurt to be a child," said Book
But as a child, Book was hurt…abused physically and sexually from age 11 through 16 by her female nanny. She rose above her trauma and fights to keep others from going what she went through.
"We're here to protect children, to create laws to keep them safe and to show them that there are people here who love and care about them," Book added.
Today marked 15 miles in a 1,500 mile journey across Florida. With friends, family and supporters, Lauren is inspiring abuse survivors that it is ok to tell what happened to them and they can get through it.
Meet Corrie Faber:
"I was sexually abused when I was four, and then when I was 5 until I was 11, and then at 12 I was raped and had a bad experience with that," Faber said.
She walked today to inspire kids like her to rise above their abuse and thrive.
"Seeing kids younger than me and watching what they went through and knowing that I went through it too inspires me to inspire kids to not hold themselves back from things that doesn't have nothing to do with them," Faber said.
"Right now there's a one and four in four girls is sexually abused and one in six boys, but that's just with statistics with who has told," said therapist at the Children's Advocacy Center, Tasha Jackson.
Jackson walked to send a message of healing.
"The walk symbolized the trauma and the healing process of a child who's been through abuse...it's a long road, it's very hard but there is an end, you can get through it and you're going to make it through it," Jackson added.
And Book agrees:
"It's an incredible journey...I have to tell you that there are so many survivors out there, that we've been able to turn to resources out there to get them help and who are in so much pain...and we've been able to share hope and healing with them and give them a sense of empowerment that there is something better...that they can become thriving survivors and they can become warriors," Book added.
Laurenskids.com
http://www.gulfcoastcac.org/
The Salvation Army Domestic Violence & Rape Crisis Program
1824 W. 15th Street
Panama City, FL 32401
Contact: Shawn Taylor
Office: 850-769-7989
Fax: 850-769-5346
Hotline: 850-763-0706/800-252-2597
Email:shawn_taylor@USS.salvationarmy.org
Website: www.salvationarmypanamcity.org
Services: 24-hour hotline, information and referral, crisis intervention, advocacy and accompaniment: general, medical and legal, therapy: individual, group and secondary victims, prevention education and training, medical referrals and follow-up and victim/survivor follow-up.
Service Fee: Free
Services to: Adults, Adolescents and Persons with Disabilities
Counties Served: Bay, Calhoun, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Washington
All content © Copyright 2000 - 2012 WorldNow and WMBB. All Rights Reserved. For more information on this site, please read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
