LOS ANGELES — While “Safer at Home” orders are meant to protect families from the coronavirus, they have also kept the door shut for many seeking to leave households where abuse is taking place.

Local activist and celebrity publicist Barbara Sanchez is speaking out about her experience during these trying times.

Sanchez immigrated from Mexico and climbed the ladder of success in the entertainment industry, but that success did not come without a fight. Sanchez is a survivor of domestic violence and uses her platform to encourage women she works with after overcoming her traumatic experience.

“My ex purposely kicked me in my stomach, left me on the ground, and ran through the back of the house," said Sanchez. "Luckily, I was able to reach my cell phone and call 911. Then I went to the hospital. When I arrived, they told me that my baby had no heart beat. It was pretty rough to go through that experience, when I lost my baby."

Through the help of family and friends, Sanchez escaped the danger she was once in and now empowers other women in Los Angeles through her story. While she acknowledges the many reasons behind violent behavior, a big focus for her, as a mother herself, is to plant seeds of respect in children from a young age.

“We definitely have to raise them, our little kids, our little boys, to respect women, to adore women, to make sure that we honor women in every sense of the word,” she said.

And these days, Sanchez spends a lot of time increasing her self-defense skills and encourages the women she mentors to do the same. Since the pandemic's onset, domestic violence calls have increased by at least 8% in L.A. County.

"I just hope during this pandemic that they realize, they open their eyes, that there is so much more out there for them," she said.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, you can contact L.A. County’s domestic violence hotline, 1-800-978-3600, which is available 24 hours a day, all year long.