It was Friday and she had an early morning yoga class to teach. Sometimes he joined her but that day he decided to stay an extra hour and sleep in…

One day back in 1987, her mother jokingly said to her, “go to University to find a man”. She had always dealt with poor body image and low self-esteem so at the time, what her mother said to her, made sense…

Jodi is a retired RCMP officer and currently works out of the Families first society office in Fort Saskatchewan. The society provides family support for those impacted by family violence, loss or anyone needing a shoulder to lean on.

11 Years ago her daughter met a man that would through the years physically and verbally abuse her and ultimately be charged with her murder. When her daughter started dating him, she had a bad feeling about him right from the start. The signs were there from the beginning but…

The cracks of her broken home started even before she was born. Growing up, her dad’s abuse was ‘normal’ and that way of life was all she ever knew…

He made a promise to her in front of all their family, friends and God, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, but little did he know that beautiful bride with a smile that could stop him dead in his tracks and fill his heart with love, would for the next 25 years, make his life a living hell…

It was midnight and he woke to the sounds of him stumbling down the stairs to their apartment. He was drunk and he knew by the way his footsteps hit the ground; he was going to hurt her again. As tightly as he could, he shut his eyes and put his hands over his ears to drown out the horror he knew was going to take place in the next room…

The 911 call came into dispatch. The voice on the other end was hysterical and not making sense. “Help me, please send someone right away, my stepdad beat my mom and I think she is dead”…

Nov 5th , Is the day he beat me. He beat me so badly that I had to pretend I was dead just so he would stop. A neighbour heard my screams and called the police. When they arrived my son told them I was on the kitchen floor and he thinks I'm dead. I don't remember much of that night. It was the worst night of my life and I'm not even sure how I survived.

No, not again he screamed in his head as another fight down stairs was quickly escalating. He knew he was supposed to stay in his room till it was quiet so he covered his ears to drown out her screams and went to his safe place in the back of his bedroom closet. He curled up in a ball as tight as he could and whispered to his teddy bear digger; don’t be afraid, everything is going to be ok…