My friend Tony Scarnici. He helped me to tell my parents that my grandfather hurt me and he called the cops when I tried to kill myself last October. He's been there for me through thick and thin and absolutely deserves the title of "hero"

Well...I opened up my newspaper this morning and there she is. I shall claim her for my hero, as I just can't seem to come up with a single one. Her name is Ms. Melissa Stockwell. She has served in Iraq in the Army and lost her leg to a roadside bomb. She endured 20 surgeries due to advancing infection and narrowly escaped death several times doing so. And now, she has won a place on the swim team in the Paralympics in Bejing, China. The article also mentions that she holds a celebration of life every year (4 now) on the anniversary of the day that the bomb exploded and she lost her leg. Not one hint of feeling sorry for herself. Ms. Stockwell is one that I can feel proud to call my Hero! I will search for others as well...but today, Melissa Stockwell is it!

My college professor who first encouraged me to share my story, to see someone, to seek help. I never would be where I am today if not for them. I might have been at this point, but at a much later date. I wouldn't have dreamed telling anyone in my family but now both my sisters know. Talking to them I heard their stories and both of them were sexually assaulted, one by my grandfather and one by a stranger at a party. Three daughters, all assaulted, and my parents don't know. It would worry them and hurt them like hell.

My four precious little ladies!

My Grandmother is my heroine..She was a small frail amazing christian woman who loved me through all my childhood and never even knew my pain...

It is so hard to think of hero's in our world when it seems like all we exposed to are people who want to take advantage or hurt us. But I do have 2 people in my life who I would define as hero material. First my sister who has endured the same dysfunctional and abusive childhood, but managed to rise above it and become a truly inspiring person. Second is a friend of mine who I have been friends with for the last nine years. She has grown up thru a truly challenging childhood but has never let it embitter her. She is the first one to take in any child that needs help, she raised her sisters three kids while she was incarerated for traffiking drugs, this is along with her three children and on a very low income. She is the only friend I have that I can tell when my mental disorders rise to engulf and take control of me and I become sucicdal. I will always hold these two ladies with the highest respect.