Cape Coral Puppy Bowl highlights shelter’s need for loving homesCaught on Camera: Car crashes into Lehigh duplex
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral Puppy Bowl highlights shelter’s need for loving homes The Cape Coral Animal Shelter hosted its third annual Puppy Bowl late Sunday morning. The event aimed to highlight puppies in need of homes.
LEHIGH ACRES Caught on Camera: Car crashes into Lehigh duplex A car crashed into a duplex early Sunday morning in Lehigh Acres causing confusion for the building’s residents.
WINK News Photos of the Week Feb. 2 – Feb. 8 This Week’s edition features live music, some familiar faces wearing red and a fabulous charity event
FORT MYERS Colonial Boulevard continuous flow intersection opens Sunday in Fort Myers Drivers along Interstate 75 near Colonial Boulevard can expect changes soon.
the weather authority Sun and clouds with a stray shower possible The Weather Authority says sun and clouds overhead will lead to another day with above-average temperatures.
FORT MYERS LCSO offering youth boxing program The Lee County Sheriff’s Office youth boxing program is your kid’s golden ticket to mastering the art of self-defense.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral man speaks on helping apprehend armed 13-year-old The man who helped apprehend an armed 13-year-old spoke on the incident.
NAPLES Naples Cars on Fifth event fuels $2M for local charity efforts For over two decades, car enthusiasts in Southwest Florida have gathered on Fifth Avenue in Naples.
MARCO ISLAND Caxambas Park boat ramp on Marco Island set to reopen Collier County announced the reopening of the Caxambas Park boat ramp on Marco Island.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral Animal Shelter to host Puppy Bowl 3 ahead of big game Ahead of the big game on Sunday, Cape Coral Animal Shelter will be featuring its very own Puppy Bowl III.
FORT MYERS From the ballpark to the beach: the Minnesota Twins are back for Spring Training 1700 miles later the Twins truck is here and the team from Minnesota is ready to spend the next six weeks here in Fort Myers.
the weather authority Warm stretch continues throughout this weekend The Weather Authority says if you are a fan of the warmer weather, you are going to love this weekend.
SANIBEL Sanibel’s red tide raises health alerts and wildlife concerns With great weather in the forecast, it’s shaping up to be a perfect beach weekend. However, visitors to the barrier islands should exercise caution.
NAPLES Naples Automotive Experience raises funds for St. Matthew’s House The Naples Automotive Experience brought excitement and philanthropy to the community, raising money for St. Matthew’s House.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral Puppy Bowl highlights shelter’s need for loving homes The Cape Coral Animal Shelter hosted its third annual Puppy Bowl late Sunday morning. The event aimed to highlight puppies in need of homes.
LEHIGH ACRES Caught on Camera: Car crashes into Lehigh duplex A car crashed into a duplex early Sunday morning in Lehigh Acres causing confusion for the building’s residents.
WINK News Photos of the Week Feb. 2 – Feb. 8 This Week’s edition features live music, some familiar faces wearing red and a fabulous charity event
FORT MYERS Colonial Boulevard continuous flow intersection opens Sunday in Fort Myers Drivers along Interstate 75 near Colonial Boulevard can expect changes soon.
the weather authority Sun and clouds with a stray shower possible The Weather Authority says sun and clouds overhead will lead to another day with above-average temperatures.
FORT MYERS LCSO offering youth boxing program The Lee County Sheriff’s Office youth boxing program is your kid’s golden ticket to mastering the art of self-defense.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral man speaks on helping apprehend armed 13-year-old The man who helped apprehend an armed 13-year-old spoke on the incident.
NAPLES Naples Cars on Fifth event fuels $2M for local charity efforts For over two decades, car enthusiasts in Southwest Florida have gathered on Fifth Avenue in Naples.
MARCO ISLAND Caxambas Park boat ramp on Marco Island set to reopen Collier County announced the reopening of the Caxambas Park boat ramp on Marco Island.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral Animal Shelter to host Puppy Bowl 3 ahead of big game Ahead of the big game on Sunday, Cape Coral Animal Shelter will be featuring its very own Puppy Bowl III.
FORT MYERS From the ballpark to the beach: the Minnesota Twins are back for Spring Training 1700 miles later the Twins truck is here and the team from Minnesota is ready to spend the next six weeks here in Fort Myers.
the weather authority Warm stretch continues throughout this weekend The Weather Authority says if you are a fan of the warmer weather, you are going to love this weekend.
SANIBEL Sanibel’s red tide raises health alerts and wildlife concerns With great weather in the forecast, it’s shaping up to be a perfect beach weekend. However, visitors to the barrier islands should exercise caution.
NAPLES Naples Automotive Experience raises funds for St. Matthew’s House The Naples Automotive Experience brought excitement and philanthropy to the community, raising money for St. Matthew’s House.
Amal Bernal pictured with one of her sons while she was in an abusive marriage. Credit: WINK News Domestic violence does not discriminate. People of every age, race, religion and tax bracket are abused. Sometimes, even people whose lives might inspire envy at first sight are undergoing a traumatic struggle. 10 years ago, Amal Bernal was one such woman. She curated a collection of more than 123 pairs of shoes, but they were for holding emergency cash. “They came in handy because I learned that they were good hiding places,” Bernal said. “Even though we made millions, I was given $5 spending money and a tank of gas a week. That was a way to control me.” And that was not the only way. Bernal says besides her three beautiful boys, there was very little to envy about her life and absolutely nothing to envy about her marriage. “He would open-hand slap me on different parts of my body… or he would dump ice buckets on me while I was in the shower,” Bernal said. “On one occasion, he retrieved me from the shower, in the middle of winter in Salt Lake City, and threw me outside—naked—of our house and locked the doors… the threat was, ‘Your body will be cold in Mexico before anybody even knows you’re gone.'” She says it is impossible to describe every instance of abuse she suffered over 20 years, though she does describe the last. “He threw me out of the car, the moving car, and then tried to run over me,” Bernal said. She went to the hospital and he went to prison. He called her from a jailhouse phone to deliver this message: “I will see you and the children in a cardboard box under a bridge before I give anybody a cent.” Bernal says he kept his promise: He drained every last dollar, every last cent from their finances. “Millions declared bankruptcy right away,” Bernal said. “So all the debt fell on me.” All she had left were her shoes. She sold all 123 pairs and used the money to support her boys, moving to the Naples Shelter for Abused Women and Children. “I’ll tell you, they were so patient with me, because I was mortified that I was in there,” Bernal said. “And I just, I couldn’t get out of bed. I was so depressed.” To encourage women to get out of bed and back into the world, the shelter requires everyone to get a job or go to school, so Bernal applied for a job at Macy’s. “They hired me for $8.25 as a part-time fragrance clerk in their fragrance department,” Bernal said. “It gave me a reason to get up and get out of bed. And you put your hair and makeup on and your high heels and you walk out of the shelter into the world. As a person who is ready to do what’s necessary, even though it was $8.25 an hour, that wasn’t the value of that job. The value was reminding me that I’m capable, that it’s okay to start over.” 10 years later, Amal Bernal has started over and has a life truly worth envying: She remarried a wonderful man who she says loves her unconditionally, who met her when she had nothing and waited 13 dates to kiss her. Together, they adopted a son. Bernal is now a therapist who specializes in trauma, with a practice of her own. “Amal,” it has been pointed out, is an Arabic name, meaning “hope.”