Katelyn's Story

Katelyn is a "triumph of courage" says her counselor. She has coped with more tragedy than most of us can imagine -- raped at the age of 12, married to a man who abused her and her children, sexually assaulted by a physician, and faced with the loss of her physical health to a degenerative muscle disease. Katelyn first came to The Women's Center in 1990 after leaving her violent marriage to get help finding "not just a job" but a career that would support her and her children. She came back to The Women's Center in 1995 after she was sexually assaulted by a physician at the hospital where she worked. Unable to function because of fear and anger and grief, Katelyn began with her counselor the long journey of healing from the abuse in her life. With a lot of hard work she gained back her self-respect. She recovered from the panic attacks she had every time she went to see a doctor. And she developed the confidence to take to trial the man who assaulted her. When in 1998 Katelyn lost her beloved step-father to a fatal car accident and she was overwhelmed with sadness, she came back to the place she knew would help her stay strong for herself and her children. She came back to The Women's Center. "I can't imagine where else I would go."