Cori's Story - You Are Not Alone & Where to Turn

Date Posted: Sun, Mar 10, 2002

I just thought I would share this story with anyone who wanted to listen and may be going through a similar problem and needs some advice. Well I guess I would say I was abused when I was a child. I always tried to hide it though. I lived with my mom and she was an alcoholic. When she drank she got really violent, then she would hit me or my brother for no reason at all. We would be playing a game and she would just come hit us, I never understood why. But me and my brother would never tell my father when we went to visit him how bad it was. We would always tell him things were fine but we would rather live with him then mom. He wanted us to live with him but had no money at the time. When I was 14 things started to get even worse with my mom. I was afraid to come home afterschool and I started to miss school because I didn't want anyone to see my cuts or bruises. No one really notice that anything was happening except my father. My brother and I finally confessed to him what was happening. That is when we took us out of our house and we began living with him. Things were so great now. I started high school and my mother decided to move across the country. Things had finally been looking up. And for the first time in my life I got all A's on my report card. I loved living with him and even if we didn't have lots of money. Suddenly things got really bad again. Last April that my dad got really sick and went into the hospital. Me and my brother were devastated. It was so awful I decided not to tell anyone what was happening. My friends didn't know nor anyone at my school. I kept it all to myself which is the worse thing in the world to do. I went to see him in the hospital every chance I got. I hate seeing him like that, he is so sick. The saddest part was seeing the Priest giving him his last rights. I never cry but I started to cry then. I wanted that to be me laying there and not my Dad. He didn't deserve it. It has been about six months now and my Dad is still in the hospital. I see him everyday though it is tough. The doctors say he has about 3 months left to live because there is no treatment that is working. I finally told someone at my school what was happening with my Dad. It felt so good to have someone listen to me and really care. She helped me try to deal with everything that has happened. It is tough though, and but I take it one day at a time. I wanted to share this story so for anyone that has or is a vicitim of abuse, and tell them you are not alone. Also, for anyone that has lost or is losing a parent I want you to know that you are not alone either and it is good to share your problems or ask for advice from people and not keep it totally to yourself.

Cori Age 17