Mary’s Story

“Mary” was an Army wife and her husband had been very physically and verbally abusive. Living in Savannah, she was thousands of miles away from her family in the Midwest. After one particularly vicious beating, she slipped away in the middle of the night with her young son and came to SAFE Shelter.

In the beginning, Mary was so beaten down, emotionally and physically, she could barely get through the day. Her young son was almost out of control. Working with the Child Advocate, Mary had her son evaluated and he was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder. His stress and anger over his fathers’ abuse only made his behavior worse.

With the help of a licensed counselor and the right medication, her son was soon much more in control of his emotions. But Mary was still just so beaten down, she doubted she would have the strength to stand up against her husband. The shelter assisted Mary with a Temporary Protective Order and soon, day by day, Mary grew stronger. When it was time to go to court, she held her head high and testified about the abuse. With her husband court ordered to stay away, Mary and her son returned to their home.

After leaving the shelter, Mary joined the Follow-up/After Care Program. With her confidence growing stronger every day, she filed for divorce and the shelter assisted her with an attorney. With her son thriving in kindergarten, Mary decided it was time to enroll in college. Just a few years later, Mary called the shelter to announce that not only had she graduated with a degree in Physical Therapy, but had just purchased her first home!

She is now a very successful Physical Therapist and her son is in his early teens. Mary and her son are safe, secure and most importantly, living a life free from violence. On several occasions, she has served as a spokesperson for SAFE Shelter, hoping her words will reach someone who is as scared as she once was.