Survivor Speak: Melinda Hawkins

00:00 My name is melinda. I am 63 years old. I live in Bronx. I am adventurous, strong and thoughtful. And here is my story I experienced when I was 15 years old and believe I met my love of my life. He was much older, eight years. The blow to my face. My thinking told me I need to behave myself. Hitting and beating never stop. I allow it for 30 years long. My mind was in denial. My entire relationship. I told myself he loved me. My worst thing, I didn't tell a soul. It was not only physically, it was verbal and mentally. I. He wanted to just break me. And I. I gotten broken not knowing that I was broken. I had four children by him. And he said that he will not able. He will not stop hitting me. He would love me and take care of me. But all it was a lie. He hibernated me. He isolated me and told me that it was for my best. Not knowing that he was a narcissist. Not knowing that he was abused himself. And he was broken as well. He was a martial art teacher, he was a sensei. So his hands were legal. So the blows that he hit me all the time were places where that he know he couldn't. He wouldn't kill me. He would just. It would sting me, knock me out cold and fracture me. Fractures bones. I had. I've got strength and power and courage to lead the relationship. My children got older and they didn't need me no more. So there was no point for him to hang around. Because that's what he said. I want to be here for the children. So when they grown up and went their own way, I found a way to slip away. And by that time he couldn't do nothing with me. Because I had got my strength, I got courage and I felt like I can beat him. And I became myself. I became self. I became the woman that God wanted me to be. Not to be beat on, to be hurt. And that is my story. And what I tell anybody, any man or woman that goes through domestic violence, that don't stop, rather don't keep silence, seek help no matter what your mind and heart tell you. Because you are somebody worth fighting for.