#HelpHaloHealGrace
Donation protected
**Upadate**
We have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We really feel like we are fighting for our daughter's life. She has endured so much over the last two years. Former friends have turned their backs on her, she has been teased, harrassed, cyberbullied all because she decided to speak out. She has been hospitalized 4 times and has had two suicide attempts.
When this first happened she denied it was rape, first because she was 12 and didn't quite understand what had happened and second because she blamed herself. Her attacker made her feel like it was her fault. She still carries blame even though we have had her in weekly counseling sessions since her attack.
In October after her third hospitalization she made the decision to file a police report, 18 months after she was raped. Even though the police officer who took her statement at the Bridge assured me that he had no doubt in his mind that she was telling the truth he doubted anything would come of this because she didn't report it sooner. Our criminal justice system protects criminals more than it protects victims, unfortunatley. At this time we are at the mercy of the Randall County District Attorney's office. They have our case and will be determining if they want to pursue criminal charges.
Grace's life has been completly altered and there were times when we would go to bed and not know if we would find our daughter living or not. She has not been able to live her fullest life and has lost interest in the activites that she loves the most.
For the first time since her attack, I have seen hope return to my once bright, confident, and loving girl. She truly believes that having a service animal will help her relearn how to live again. Thank you for taking time to read our story. You have truly blessed our lives.
Ivy
From Grace:
Most of you guys know me as a girl who’s fun, loving and not afraid to speak her mind. But for years I’ve been hiding what’s really going on in the mind of Grace. In the past two years, I’ve been diagnosed with the following conditions: Major Depressive Disorder, Panic Disorder, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This all started when I was 12 years old and something happened to me that happens to so many women and girls. I was raped. And it wasn’t just anybody either…. It was my friend. I trusted him.
After that happened on March 13, 2016, I’ve been a changed girl. Every time I close my eyes, I see his face. Going to public places is hard because I’m always scared I might see him there. Sleep is hard to come across these days due to vivid nightmares and night terrors. I’ve tried so many different medications to help me get through this, but nothing seems to work. So my family thought of something else, a service animal.
We’ve found a trainer and a dog (her name is Halo) and it’s undoubtable that she will help me. But there’s one problem: money. The cost to train a service dog is $5,000 and I need help getting those funds. Please donate whatever you can to help Halo heal me. Even just $10 dollars can make a difference. If you can’t donate, please share my story. This is the most important thing in my life and your help means the world to me.
#HelpHaloHealGrace
We have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We really feel like we are fighting for our daughter's life. She has endured so much over the last two years. Former friends have turned their backs on her, she has been teased, harrassed, cyberbullied all because she decided to speak out. She has been hospitalized 4 times and has had two suicide attempts.
When this first happened she denied it was rape, first because she was 12 and didn't quite understand what had happened and second because she blamed herself. Her attacker made her feel like it was her fault. She still carries blame even though we have had her in weekly counseling sessions since her attack.
In October after her third hospitalization she made the decision to file a police report, 18 months after she was raped. Even though the police officer who took her statement at the Bridge assured me that he had no doubt in his mind that she was telling the truth he doubted anything would come of this because she didn't report it sooner. Our criminal justice system protects criminals more than it protects victims, unfortunatley. At this time we are at the mercy of the Randall County District Attorney's office. They have our case and will be determining if they want to pursue criminal charges.
Grace's life has been completly altered and there were times when we would go to bed and not know if we would find our daughter living or not. She has not been able to live her fullest life and has lost interest in the activites that she loves the most.
For the first time since her attack, I have seen hope return to my once bright, confident, and loving girl. She truly believes that having a service animal will help her relearn how to live again. Thank you for taking time to read our story. You have truly blessed our lives.
Ivy
From Grace:
Most of you guys know me as a girl who’s fun, loving and not afraid to speak her mind. But for years I’ve been hiding what’s really going on in the mind of Grace. In the past two years, I’ve been diagnosed with the following conditions: Major Depressive Disorder, Panic Disorder, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This all started when I was 12 years old and something happened to me that happens to so many women and girls. I was raped. And it wasn’t just anybody either…. It was my friend. I trusted him.
After that happened on March 13, 2016, I’ve been a changed girl. Every time I close my eyes, I see his face. Going to public places is hard because I’m always scared I might see him there. Sleep is hard to come across these days due to vivid nightmares and night terrors. I’ve tried so many different medications to help me get through this, but nothing seems to work. So my family thought of something else, a service animal.
We’ve found a trainer and a dog (her name is Halo) and it’s undoubtable that she will help me. But there’s one problem: money. The cost to train a service dog is $5,000 and I need help getting those funds. Please donate whatever you can to help Halo heal me. Even just $10 dollars can make a difference. If you can’t donate, please share my story. This is the most important thing in my life and your help means the world to me.
#HelpHaloHealGrace
Organizer
Ivy Gowdy
Organizer
Amarillo, TX
