She was staggering down the road

OMG MA thats awful! I can understand Mike pulling you back as well though because you just don't know what idiots are out there, but luckily for her you carried on.

I'm Glad you were there for her maryanne I pray that she'll be ok and to be strong and not go back in to that relationship god gave her a second chance when she came up your drive way and you were there for her now she will need to be very strong cause its going to be a hard road a head her

That is horrible. I too have experienced similar. I hope and pray that she is alright and can overcome and move on from this. It is hard to do, but she will be stronger in the end.

Oh Hissy!! I will think good thoughts for her. I have seen more than my share of abused women - many who did not want to admit it (despite Xrays that I showed them to the contrary) and abused children for that matter since it all goes hand in hand - and of course, these families' pets do not fare so well either.

There is one cituation that stands out in my mind but I cannot give too many details for privacy reasons. A young 6 year old was referred to me and he was seen by someone at an ER in rural New Brunswick only because social services went to visit after a school principal claimed "everyone on welfare should be investigated for child abuse", an absurd notion if I ever heard one but in this case the child was ill and the mother was being abused by her boyfriend who was well known to the police.

When they finally came to see me - and it was a long trip for them - on the train with a sick child, with leukemia that would have been dignosed earlier if they had a family physcian. I spent much time with the mom (she stayed with her son in our Care by Parent Unit) and tried to convimce her to leave him. She eventually did but not long after, this man murdered several ppl, one a secretary who had worked for us and a Parish Priest who was the uncle of a friend (The Maritimes is a small place!). She would be black and blue and still saying good things about him but that is of course not atypical! I wish I could say we saved her child but he did live for a few years but the cancer reappeared a few yrs later and we did everything we could with what we had then - and even now, 15 plus yrs later, we could do more - but he did not make it.

Family violence is like an inciduous poison!

My knowledge is that it takes 5 or 6 tries before an abused woman leaves for good, if she ever does. There are so many factors involved and each relationship is different. Don't know about other parts of the world, but here women don't get the same kind of jobs that men get, and they don't earn enough to properly live on, so many single moms are on welfare. That, plus if she leaves she loses the house, the furniture, all her stuff. Then there's drugs sometimes. Also, the men sometimes hold hostages like the children and the pets. All that and he tells her nobody else would want her, she's old, she's ugly, she's worn out from having kids... She ends up with no self confidence and afraid she's going to lose everything.

Thanks for taking a stand. We need to look out for each other and you did the right thing by intervening.

Sadly Kathylou, I think it is pretty much the same the world over. Abused women feel isolated and these *&^% vile creatures make them feel as tho they are nobody and have no confidence. I've seen professional women in situations like that - it crosses class lines tho it is harder if you have no education or profession to rely on and even then, women often don't want others to know, see themselves as somehow responsible - which is utter nonsense of course but that does exist.

I think you did the right thing MA! I just hope this woman gets help!

Bless you, MA, and Mike, for caring and for being practical and doing something. Too many people are shocked when they see something but don't act, don't want to get involved. Let us hope this poor girl learns her lesson soon, but as everyone says, it isn't that simple. I took 6 months to get out of an abusive relationship in my teens, frightened to tell anyone what was going on.

She needed that. More than some people will know.I#ve been there too... God bless you.

MA, once again, you have touched a life, making an immeasurable impact. This meeting was by no means an accident.

Poor thing! Good thing you noticed her and got her to get medical attention.

i was in a violent relationship for 20 years,he did a good job on me,i was at a very low point when i finally left him,he caused so many probs for me when i did break free,but that was 10 years ago,im a different person now,im confident and best of all im happy.
reading that story made my blood go cold,what gives a man the right to beat a woman up,its must make them feel so good a real man men like that should be put away for a very long time,till they are no threat to women again.

Hissy, whether it be animal rescue or reaching out to the hurting humans that stumble across your path, you never fail to amaze me. I'm glad that this girl found her way to your kindness. My thoughts are with her. I've been there, too.

It's amazing to me how many cat owners have survived abuse. Perhaps it is the peace these gentle creatures offer when they snuggle into our laps, or headbump us their approval that draws us together? I don't know what it is, but I know as she was sitting in my kitchen, I only wished I had a small bottle baby to offer her. As beat up and in shock as she was, my thoughts rested on the healing power of a small defenseless kitten sucking on a bottle grabbing on to life.

I know many here who have walked down the path of abuse and some have escaped and others are still weighing their options. I know the head trips that these abusive men play and prey on and how strong they are physcially, yet the reality is they are all cowards.

I hope that caught the monster who in one single second decided to punch out someone that once loved him. I hope they caught him and incarcerated him so he can do no more damage to that now fragile soul.

My next door neighbour and her bf have a rocky relationship, and it doesn't help matters that she's 3 months pregnant either

Hope came in last weekend because they'd had more words, and while she sipped her coffee through her tears, Rosie jumped up onto the kitchen table where we were sitting and starting headbutting Hope She remarked how loving she was more than usual?, and i said it'll be because she knows your upset

Thank God I have never lived through that, I feel for everyone who has though, I don't know why men like to be abusive and I know there are women also who do it, I guess it's a power thing somehow.

Last year i heard the lady upstairs get abuse by her husband, her children were screaming mummy mummy and i heard her being pushed on the floor and i heard the punches he gave her, i was so angry, i nearly called the police, the next day she was telling her child off at the stairs while i was having dinner so i opened the door and asked her if everything was alright and if i could help her. She was so angry at me for butting into her business.

I unfortunately know how people dont want to get involved in situations like this and in a way i do not blame them either.
But the person who has been hurt will always appreaciate your help even if they wont talk to you or be rude.

You are a wonderful person MA i wish more people like you were actually out there.

to you, MA. Bless your heart. It's a good thing tiny kittens and battered girls have someone like you to look after and help them.
I will be sending out good vibes for that girl.
And hoping that her abuser gets equally abused in JAIL.

Bless you MA for helping that girl! I wish someone would've helped me when I was in that situation. My ex would beat me up and noone would bat an eye.
I put him in jail one time and then stupidly bailed him out again after he hit me so hard my head bounced off a metal mailbox. it cut me pretty good let me tell you!
His friends finally saved me, otherwise I think I'd have died there. Now I have Brad, who is so sweet and kind I don't know how I survived all that time before him!
The scars are still there but since then, I hear that "ex" is really sick and having severe weight problems. People ask me if I am happy he's sick. No, not really. I am not like him. I care no matter what. I can't be cruel.