Linda’s Story
Published: November 13th, 2009
Meet Linda*
We first met Linda last winter when police brought her to the Shelter door. It was not uncommon for her husband to call her names, to tell her she was “worthless” over and over again, to keep her from her family, or to punch her repeatedly on her head, face and eyes or to twist her hair or hands. Today, her hands still ache because he often pulled her fingers back just before the point of breaking. On one occasion, her husband hit her on the head with an empty bottle from which he had been drinking. This resulted in her having to go to the hospital for stitches. On another occasion, her husband hit her over the head with a broom stick. She had to go to the hospital a second time for stitches. She was too afraid to tell doctors the truth about what had happened and never reported it to the police. Because she and her two young children were newcomers to Canada, she was not aware of her options and was terrified of being left alone in a new country far from her family. Furthermore, Linda felt she had to “sacrifice herself” in order to keep her family together, to be financially secure, and to provide her husband with an opportunity to change.
Returning to our story of the night when we first met Linda, her husband had punched her face and back as he had many times before. Despite her pleas, he continued to hit her. She ran out of the house with the children, and he ran after her. A neighbor heard her screaming and called police. When he heard police coming, he dragged her back to the house and assaulted her with a knife. He then grabbed his belt and attempted to strangle her. As a result, he was arrested and nine charges were laid against him. Linda was taken to the hospital where she received treatment for her injuries. Later, the police brought Linda and her children to the shelter.
For the next six weeks, Linda lived at Yellow Brick House with her two little girls. Almost every day, Linda worked with staff on her goals and plans and accessed a number of our programs including individual counseling, legal support, and support groups. Her children loved working and playing with our Children’s Recreation and Advocacy Worker and looked forward to weekly sessions with the Art Therapist. When they first arrived, they would keep to themselves and cry loudly when anyone but their mother was near.
Today, the girls are attending their first Day Care program and have new friends over to their tiny but new apartment to play while Linda studies Real Estate coursework. She is determined to buy a house for herself and the kids one day. She has been volunteering in a Broker’s office for three months while the girls are in “school” and loves it. They still receive support from Yellow Brick house, and Linda is still working with a Transitional Counsellor to better understand abuse and ensure that they do not have to take it ever again in their lives.
Every time we see her now, she is all smiles with pictures of her laughing girls at the beach or in the park. Linda doesn’t get hit anymore and her girls don’t watch and listen. Next summer, Linda is planning for her parents to visit from Scotland to show them how well they are doing. Linda and the girls will never feel “worthless” again.
*Linda is not her real name, but the story is real and is just one of many success stories that we have at Yellow Brick House.