Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN) - 2275

Tonight's special guest is Gemini Stedl from Wisconsin, who was sexually abused by her mother's boyfriend at the age of 10. Gemini explains, “From what I remember, it went on for at least a few months, before something that he did finally made the lightbulb come on and made me realize that something wasn't right. I told my mom the next day.” Luckily, her mother believed her immediately. "I didn't know a lot of what happened after that, as I blocked it all out for many years," she shares. Gemini didn't fully realize how much she had been affected, as she kept silent about it, and her pain. Having to grow up at the age of 10, she became very independent, but she was unable to ask for help. She didn't have many relationships, as physical contact was not something she could tolerate. Around the end of 2017, Gemini decided it was time to tackle the fact that, despite what she kept telling herself for 20 years, she was highly affected by the abuse. She pulled the police reports, court reports, and other documents, then sent her abuser a letter. After his response, she was able to meet him for the first time in over 20 years. Gemini relates, “He answered many of my questions and it gave me a lot of strength to keep moving forward. I started going back to school fall of 2018, and plan on becoming a counselor. It's still an ongoing journey, but I've made many strides, from going overseas on a month-long vacation by myself, to starting to date again. I hope to help those that have been victims, and help them to become not just survivors .. but become thrivers."