Abusers take control of the hearts, minds, and bodies of their victims, making them feel they have no hope of escaping.
The emotional abuse imprisons many women for their entire lives, trapping them in a cycle of violence and empty apologies.
But after enduring all she could, one mom reached out for help – and you won’t believe how she did it!
The woman, who chooses to remain unnamed according to Lexington Herald-Ledger, was being physically and emotionally abused by her 40-year-old boyfriend, Erik Alvarado.
One night, after hours of physical violence, things took a drastic turn for the worse and Alvarado almost killed the mom of three by using a pillowcase and shirt to suffocate her.
In the seemingly stable home in Las Cruces, New Mexico, Alvarado threatened to take the mother’s life behind closed doors.
What’s even worse is, according to police reports, the woman’s toddler and two school-aged children were witnessing the whole terrifying scene.
And just in case the mother might try and call the police, Alvarado took her cell phone and made her stay by his side at all times.
What was the scared mother to do? How was she to protect herself and her children from the monster in her home?
In a genius last hope to get help, the mother quickly wrote a note and handed it to her children before they left for school. She told them to give the note to the bus driver as soon as they got on the bus.
The children did as they were asked and the bus driver called 9-1-1!
Las Cruces police officers soon arrived at the home where they found the mother trapped inside with her abusive boyfriend.
The mother had visible cuts, bruises, and abrasions covering her entire body, reports the Lexington Herald-Ledger, a sure sign of the torment she had endured.
After police rescued the woman, she was sent to receive medical attention. The abusive boyfriend was taken into custody and charged with three felony counts of aggravated battery, as well as misdemeanor charges of battery and deprivation of property, KRQE reported.
Sadly, this story is not one of a kind, nor even rare.
Every year, nearly 10 million men and women in America are physically abused by a partner, according to The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV).
A shocking 1 in 4 women experience “severe intimate partner violence” – and that includes incidents of sexual assault and/or stalking, reports NCADV.
In a single day, domestic violence hotlines are reported to receive over 20,000 phone calls from across the nation.
However, in many cases of abuse, the victim is too scared to get help or is unable to get help because their attacker is holding them hostage.
It is so amazing how this mother was able to think of a way to get help in such a terrifying and almost impossible situation!
Hopefully through continued counseling and support, she and her children will get the healing they need and have the healthy and safe relationships they deserve.