This article discusses several types of abuse. If you or someone you know has been assaulted, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 for free, 24/7 support. You can also call RAINN's national sexual assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 for confidential support.
MILWAUKEE — Christina Trinidad prides herself on being a mother. Her childhood experience is why she said she works so hard to give her four children a life they deserve.
Trinidad is an abuse survivor. She said she was physically abused by her father from age 6 to 17.
“It was small things,” said Trinidad. “Whoopings with a leather belt and then bars of soap. It just escalated as we got older.”
She said it escalated to even more forms of abuse.
“I was sexually assaulted at 13 and then raped at 15 by my father,” said Trinidad.
Her bother was also abused by their father. She said her brother gave her the courage to come forward and share about the abuse.
“My brother is my sibling, soulmate,” she said. “He made me believe that I was a lot stronger than what I thought I was.”
At least 1 in 7 children have experienced child abuse or neglect in the past year in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is likely an underestimate because many cases go unreported. In 2020, 1,750 children died of abuse and neglect in the United States.
Trinidad has a full plate. She’s a full-time working mom. She’s also in school to become a therapist and on the board on an organization that supports sexual assault survivors, called Beleaf.
It’s where she met Candace Sanchez, who is also an abuse survivor. Sanchez is organizing a walk called “Walk Together” that will raise awareness and funds for child abuse and neglect.
“It’s a topic that people get very uncomfortable about,” said Sanchez. “In order for us to make a change and an impact, we have to get uncomfortable, and we need to talk about this with our children and with our families.”
Sanchez said the goal for the walk this year is $30,000. She said she’s hoping for at least 300 participants.
“The walk is a celebration for the strength that survivors give,” said Sanchez. “We are strength. We are strong in our numbers.”
Years later and Trinidad said she’s still healing. She said living life with her kids is a silver lining. It’s one that outshines a very dark past.
“They help me every day,” she said. “I always say that they’re my little best friends. They are definitely a big part of my healing process, and they still are to this day.”
Walk Together will be held on Sept. 16 at 9 a.m. at Lake Vista Park in Oak Creek.
You can register for the walk, here, or sign up to be a volunteer, here.