Looking at Kaylea, a beautiful 17-year-old girl with a bright future ahead of her, you would never guess all the challenges she’s had to overcome. Although she is still very young, she’s already demonstrated incredible strength and resilience in the face of both sickness and abuse.
From a young age, Kaylea struggled with the effects of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease which causes persistent joint pain, swelling and stiffness. As a young girl living in a body that wouldn’t allow her to play like other children, the impact on her mental health was significant.
“I’ve dealt with a lot of anxiety and depression, not feeling who I was meant to be,” said Kaylea. “I felt trapped.”
With the support of her family and faith, Kaylea persevered, but things went from bad to worse when she was raped by a male teacher at her school in Denver, Colorado.
To recover from this traumatic experience, Kaylea needed specialized therapy, which she started in Denver. When the family moved to Southwest Florida two years ago, they found their new home offered the specialized therapy services she needed through Lee Health.
“I’ve been with my amazing therapist for two years, and she’s helped me so much with knowing it’s not my fault and that I’m not alone,” said Kaylea.
By creating a trauma narrative to “take back her power” and finding effective ways to keep her mind off the traumatic experience, therapy obviously has helped Kaylea. Thankfully, she no longer has flashbacks and can live her life without feeling afraid all the time.
Today, Kaylea is the typical teenage girl who you see at the beach, enjoying a good time with her family and friends, but it’s only possible with the support of amazing behavioral health care professionals whose positions were funded by Kids’ Minds Matter.
Thanks to generous donors who make this kind of specialized trauma care possible in Southwest Florida, Kaylea is on a path to healing and shares her story to help others. She loves to write and hopes to write a book someday, and she’s passionate about continuing advocacy work for sexual assault survivors, ensuring other boys and girls have access to the resources she has had.
Her advocacy is important because of the vast need for services. According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, one in four girls (24.7%) and one in six boys (16%) are abused before the age of 18.
“Therapy has changed my life, and it can change so many others’ lives,” said Kaylea, who embodies her message to other survivors: “You are able to come back from things, and it doesn’t define who you are.”
To support pediatric behavior health care initiatives and increase access to specialized services, Kids’ Minds Matter is a great place to start.
If you or someone you care about needs support with a traumatic experience such as sexual abuse, assault or rape, or if you are experiencing symptoms such as depression and anxiety for any reason, resources are available in Southwest Florida.