Hannah Brook
I would like to take this time to bid farewell and say thank you to everyone I’ve encountered and collaborated with in the last five years working at The Rape Crisis Center.
When I first applied to be a board member of The Rape Crisis Center I never expected it to open a door that would lead me to where I am five years later. It has been an amazing, and at times, a heartbreaking experience, but it never ceases to amaze me to watch what the human spirit can endure – especially when those individuals feel that they have been beaten down don’t realize the strength they have.
Surprisingly it is not a child’s case that stands out in my mind but a woman’s story. She went to work every day, lived in peace and was someone no better and no less than you and I. She was unmarried, and attends church on a weekly basis. One morning, while at work – as she worked as she had any other day, she was brutally raped.
The first time I saw her was in our office after she had been discharged from the hospital. I knew the broken bones in her face would heal; the cuts on her face would close. The broken and lost teeth would be replaced. However, just seeing her out in public, in our office, was a huge step and I knew deep down she would be okay.
She has attended therapy – first daily, then weekly, now monthly, and each time, regardless I’ve watched her eyes. At first they were so….sad. Six months later as plastic surgery has made its repairs her eyes have lightened and slowly a smile has appeared across her face. Her sister, who drives her to each appointment, now laughs as she visits with staff. My office sits not far from the therapist’s office, and for the first time, for 50 minutes all I could hear was laughter. LAUGHTER.
Watching her go through the process was the first time I personally saw what it was that our agency does. While law enforcement and medical personnel do their job, our agency helps people pick up the pieces, no matter how big those pieces are. We often don’t see a victim from start to finish, and though she has a way to go, she understands we are there to the finish.
It truly has been an amazing journey, but it is time for me to start the next chapter in my life. I can assure you the baton has been passed to extremely capable hands while the search is underway for the next executive director.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
-Hannah
The Rape Crisis Center Las Vegas 