GoodLifeFamilyMag.com MARCH | APRIL 2019 13 live. Jenna no longer possessed self-esteem and built walls of self- protection. Visits to several doctors, psychiatrists, psychologists, and counselors yielded no diagnosis, and her family and friends couldn’t understand what had happened to the old Jenna. The silence had her in her predator’s grip: she was afraid to speak up due to threats, intimidation, false sense of shame, fear of not being believed, and consequences for her loved ones. Being sexually abused throughout her tweens and teen years by an adult who had the trusted roles of both honorary family and coach, made Jenna feel hopeless and powerless. “It’s estimated that about 2/3 of children don’t tell,” Jenna notes. “There are many reasons for this. For me, it was because I didn’t know how to tell my best friend their father was a monster, and I didn’t know when threats from the perpetrator would follow.” A simple lunch at a restaurant with her older sister Stephanie was the turning point. It was the day after Christmas 15 years ago when Stephanie asked then 16-year-old Jenna if anyone had hurt her. Jenna broke down in tears and revealed the ugly truth. “I’m so grateful that my sister Stephanie finally asked me this simple question because it opened the door to my freedom,” explains Jenna. “She did all the right things: she believed me, assured me it wasn’t my fault, and helped me to tell my parents, so it would stop for good.” Jenna’s parents were heartbroken and devastated. They embraced Jenna, believed her, and told her the offender would never hurt her again. Her father called 911, and police officers came to their home. No one slept that night. “Child sexual abuse is a crime that makes victims and family members feel very isolated,” Jenna says. “I’m grateful a woman at the police station gave my parents a brochure about the Children’s Advocacy Center.” Jenna was reluctant at first but responded well to the warm greeting when she and her parents arrived at the Children’s Advocacy Center of Denton County. It didn’t take long to tear down her wall of self-protection. Jenna was diagnosed with PTSD, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and suicidal ideation. She learned that the road from trauma to growth is hardly a straight line, and it’s not a simple process, but the onset, the beginning of that journey, can be simple. “When I was too weak to fight for myself, I had an army of support to both rally around me and fight for me,” Jenna explains. “The unwavering support of the Children’s Advocacy Center helped me to identify my self-worth, and my family and I no longer felt alone. I don’t know where I’d be without them.” Through counseling, Jenna found her voice and discovered a new love for self-expression. Talking and writing about her feelings helped her process her trauma, and her personal strength gave Jenna the ability to share her story in her own words, her own way, and eventually use it to create change. The Children’s Advocacy Center helped prepare Jenna to testify againstheroffenderincourt.Herbestfriend’sfamilyneverdoubted her, and Jenna realized that there were secondary victims as a result of this crime. However, at the trial the families sat on opposite sides A simple lunch with her older sister Stephanie was the turning point 15 years ago when Stephanie asked then 16-year-old Jenna if anyone had hurt her. Jenna broke down in tears and revealed the ugly truth. “She did all the right things: she believed me, assured me it wasn’t my fault, and helped me to tell my parents, so it would stop for good,” said Jenna. “THE UNWAVERING SUPPORT OF THE CHILDREN’S ADVOCACY CENTER HELPED ME TO IDENTIFY MY SELF- WORTH, AND MY FAMILY AND I NO LONGER FELT ALONE.” Continued on page 14