Near fatal ordeal inspired Survivor On A Mission

As you may know, Survivor On A Mission was inspired by the near fatal ordeal my adoptive mother and I endured in Federal Way, WA.  Before the 2003 passing of our beloved Edward (husband/father), Mom's cognitive abilities fell sharply due to a series of strokes.  An only child, I was responsible for Mom.  When she fell and broke her hip less than 6 weeks after Dad passed, horrific and almost unbelievable series of circumstances ensued.  In my state of shock, grief and overwhelm, I failed to recognize we were the targeted prey of a man I met in Honolulu who introduced himself as a nurse who had run adult family homes in Washington State.

Leaving the gorry details aside, our experience in no way reflected the agreed arrangement.  Completely isolated and "conditioned", there seemed no way to escape captivity.  Enduring daily torture, my injuries included 5 broken ribs, fractured pelvis, broken nose and jaw.  I was too physically disabled to care for my mother.  Regaining consciousness after strangulation, finally I realized if I didn't escape we would both die there.  There was no alternative to leaving my bedridden mother with the monster who held us captive.

Mom had intermittently been on hospice care over the last six years of her life.  While hospice supports surviving family as well as the patient in transition, Mom rebounded repeatedly and in the end, her passing the morning before Thanksgiving stunned me.  I got the call from Franciscan Hospice in the afternoon of Nov. 23rd.  I was in SoCal, and Mom was just outside of Seattle which was paralyzed by an early winter storm.  Mom passed in less than 14 hours...before I could get there.  She and her beloved Edward were together for Thanksgiving.  Bedridden since breaking her hip, she is blessed to be in a better place.  Nurses held the phone to Mom's ear as I vowed our ordeal was not in vain.  Survivor On A Mission advocacy and awareness warms others in vulnerable circumstances to recognize red flag warnings and potentially deadly pitfalls of falling prey to a con-artist.

Our case met the technical definition of human trafficking as well as near fatal domestic abuse.  Culminating four years of legal proceedings, our captor was sentenced in 2009 to 30 years at WallaWalla.  As you may imagine, severe post-traumatic implications will have live-long effect.  I've been blessed to receive training from Great Life Technologies as a Trauma Resolution Specialist which provided incredible self-healing and allows me to support others in their post-traumatic shift from Survive to Thrive.

Survivor On A Mission provides education, advocacy and resource coordination to survivors of abuse, abduction, rape, human trafficking and other traumas.  Your tax deductible contributions are sincerely appreciated.  Be Aware, Stay Safe, and share in a blessed holiday season and year ahead.