This is the story of “Alicia’s” life and death struggle with overcoming domestic violence.
Below is your chance to help her and her children to not be homeless and hungry!
I am a patient of Dr. Godby, as many of you are. He asked me to share with you my story because, the truth is, my children and I are on the verge of homelessness and I need help as I am currently threatened with eviction from my apartment. I have almost no food in the fridge or cabinets, and have significant health issues that leave me debilitated at times. Dr. Godby thought that you (his patients) would appreciate having the opportunity to help me through this extremely difficult time. It is very difficult asking for help, but the truth is, without it, I don’t know what to do as I am not aware of any other options that I currently have. Any financial help that you could provide would be forever appreciated. The following is my story:
Although I grew up as a very healthy and happy young girl who loved life and all the people around me, right after I got married, everything abruptly changed. From one day to the next, I woke up to someone I didn’t know anymore and couldn’t understand. Day after day I lived in an environment of extreme abuse and torture. I found myself running around all day just trying to be safe.
Then after becoming allergic to birth control pills, and not being able to take them, I ended up having children brought into this nightmare that I would have never wished on anybody, let alone my own flesh and blood. Because my now, ex-husband and his family, have a lot of friends in high places and his parents are very wealthy, there was nowhere I could go for help. I was isolated from my family and friends and forced to deposit all my paychecks into his account and then I was made to beg for gas money to get back to work again. There was nothing in my name anywhere.
Things got worse when he forced me to quit my job about 2 months after getting married so he could control me better and to take away the little joy that I had there. Then came more isolation, and next, the actual gun in my face; he began telling me he was going to kill me. That night I thought I was going to die. I’m only here today by God’s grace. I was living in a country environment with no one around me. This was his plan. Between the isolation and constant threats there was no way I could get help.
Very quickly he realized how much I loved my children and from that moment on they became his favorite weapon to hurt me. He began threatening to kill me and to take off with my kids where I’d never be able to see them again. He said he was doing this because he knew this would hurt me more than anything else. I was living in an environment of regular physical (and 17 other forms of) abuse where I was picked up and thrown over his shoulder with my head running into walls. In the process then I was taken to any of the doors leading outside and thrown like a ball through the air until I slammed into columns by the door and then on to the concrete or various other things. Multiple objects were thrown at me; I was slammed into walls and choked, and then lifted off my feet by the throat until I nearly couldn’t breathe. Then I was dropped.
He’d find ways to torture me and sit and smile watching me try to endure it. Day after day, until 10 years later, God helped me find a way out and he was arrested and then the divorce began. But, unfortunately, it wasn’t over. Then, for the next, almost 3 1/2 years, we were in a court system that left us terrified and unprotected. During this time I began having health problems. My muscles were severely deteriorating and MD’s didn’t know why. My health continued to deteriorate, but I didn’t have any money and had 3 kids and my focus was on them and I had to keep pressing on.
After a lot of years we eventually came to a point where we thought things were calming down, but then suddenly, my ex-husband who had been very angry, thinking I may be starting to be happy or have a little peace, he bought off a judge and he got access to my kids. My health was in a very bad place by then and I had found myself unable to work and with less money than ever before. My list of health problems were long including severe pain everyday and exhaustion to a point where my body felt like it was trying to go into a coma. Going through all this I got word that he was taking me back to court to try to take my youngest son from me. My son and I were especially close and we had so much in common and we even looked alike. There are no words to explain how hard this was.
Just a few months ago I walked into a court with all my kids still with me and we were a family and that same afternoon I left with my youngest taken from us. I was not given any visitation or access to my son. I won’t be able to see him go through special moments in his life or watch him pursue his dreams or graduate high school in a few years. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. I wasn’t given time to say goodbye. Instead I had to rush home from court and quickly pack his stuff before his dad arrived and took all his things and my son too. I just collapsed as I watched him drive away. My health is really bad but I’ve had to try to work and I’m trying to work 2 jobs but I’m not able to pay even our most basic needs. I’ve nearly been taken by ambulance from work many times recently. Things have been very hard for a long time, but, I have realized some very important things. Hard things happen in life and I can’t make choices for others. But I can choose the way I respond to the things that happen in my life. So I choose not to return hatred and evil for that which has been shown to me. I’ve already forgiven those that hurt me so deeply and have even forgiven for the state I’ve been left in with my health and struggles. I’m choosing to be grateful instead of bitter. I may not have much now but I’m so grateful that I am still breathing, and that my other kids are still with me.
While my mental and spiritual attitude is resilient, the truth is, my family and I are doing very poorly on the physical level and we are on the verge of homelessness, and are already hungry. My health is extremely poor, and I am unable to buy much food. This is why I said yes to Dr. Godby’s idea to appeal to you – his patients. He told me of his Naturopathic Doctor friend in Colorado, where a patient heard about the financial struggles of another patient, and decided to pay for all his treatment. From the bottom of my heart, for my children and I, I am humbly asking you for your help if you are able to help. Literally every dollar will be appreciated and will forever be remembered.
I refuse to look at this from a prospective of how broken I am but instead I look at how much I’ve grown and how much stronger I am. Evil wanted to destroy me and remove love and kindness from my heart but it didn’t win because I still love and now even deeper and with even more compassion and empathy for those who have hurt too. Although our world is filled with many severe problems of hate, revenge and evil, I choose to fight with love and forgiveness instead. We have the power to change the world and fill it with beautiful and positive things.
You can donate at: http://www.PayPal.com. Please log into your PayPal account or register. Then you will see “Money” box on the upper left. Select “more,” then “Send Money,” then “Send Money to Friends and Family,” use the following email address to send the money: 828bellag@gmail.com; then the amount you are donating, then “continue,” then “send money now.” Thank you so much!! If you are unable to use PayPal, you can send the check to Dr. Godby @ 2530 J Street, Suite 100, Sacramento, CA 95816 with “Alicia” in the memo and Dr. Godby can make out the check to my real name. Again, from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!!
