Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN) - 736

Tonight's special guest is Patrick Dati from Chicago, a returning NAASCA family member, and an anti-bullying and child abuse prevention activist. Destined to be a New York Times best seller, Patrick Dati's “I AM Me -- Survivor of Child Abuse and Bulling Speaks Out” is a shocking biography of a boy who was raped by notorious serial killer John Wayne Gacy at nine and bullied throughout most of his life by an older brother. What did these experiences teach him? They taught him to hide—to hid his true gay self for most of his life. He lived to please others—especially his family—and so, to be one of us, he married twice, disastrously. His one joy in all these years was the birth of a daughter who became the light of his life. Patrick says, "I wrote this book because I am a voice for all victims of abuse. I know the pain and sadness that comes from keeping secrets, of “not telling,” of moving through life in the shadows so no one notices you. I know the despair that portends suicide attempts and the desperate and elaborate lies you tell yourself over and over again just so you can get out of bed in the morning. I was one of the 85% of all abuse victims who never speak of the unspeakable things they have endured." Patrick has moved on and now is living the life he always dreamt of for himself. Dati has found freedom and sums his life now in three simple words: “I HAVE SURVIVED.” Visit Patrick's YouTube video to learn more about his advocacy to help others who've been abused or bullied.