Survivors Voices event for abuse victims in Naples

Reporter: Gail Levy Writer: Paul Dolan
Published: Updated:

Overcoming crimes against them in the hope of helping others in the future. Project Help is hosting its Survivors Voices event this week, and recently some survivors are sharing their stories to help others in the future.

It feels good for Yvette Bonamy Lee to laugh again because she told WINK News for years, and her happiness and well-being were snatched suddenly away from her.

“My journey begins in college. I went to Florida A&M University,” Lee said.

More than 15 years ago, Lee was celebrating some of the best years of her life. She was studying broadcast journalism and had close friends, but that changed when she met the man who would eventually become her ex-husband.

“Met a man… got married, pregnant… the same time. Then the abuse started from my now ex-husband,” Lee said.

Survivor Voices and Project Help flyer. CREDIT: WINK News

In Lee’s four years of marriage, she had three children and never had the chance to finish her last year of college.

“The abuse just got so bad to where I was just a shell. Like I was not a person at all,” Lee said.

Lee told WINK News that her ex-husband controlled her financially and abused her mentally, emotionally, and physically.

“Eight days before I had my daughter, I was accused of cheating… and I got attacked. Put in a chokehold… wrestled to the ground… and I just couldn’t believe that that was happening,” Lee said.

And she couldn’t fathom living another day with her abuser. So Lee got out and got help.

She’s become part of the project helping families and healing the wounds that on in her memory. Thursday, her story will be open to all ears as the featured speaker at the Survivor Voices event. Lee shared some sincere advice for anybody suffering from abuse.

“This person is capable of anything. And yourself worth, you are worth it. You are worth getting out and smelling the roses on the other side,” Lee said.

More survivors will speak at the Survivor Voices event at Baker Park on Thursday at 4:30 p.m. There will be a memorial ceremony, speakers, yoga, a memory wall, snacks, and music.

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