Jerusalem’s Story

I don’t know how to start off when talking about my life before Dr. Roz’s Healing Place. I met my husband in 1992 and started suffering his abuse in 1995 when I moved from Ethiopia to Canada. I had left him once before and ended up staying away for a period of six years.

About three months before I went to Dr. Roz’s Healing Place, my husband went into a coma due to his diabetes and was hospitalized for over two weeks. When he was released from the hospital he needed help and I decided to take him to my home to assist him with his medical needs. Shortly after moving home he asked if he could come back into my life. He said that he would change for the better and I believed him. It didn’t take long for him to started verbally abusing me, putting me down and threatening me. He tried to limit my contact with my family and friends and threatened to kill me. He always made me feel bad about myself.

On January 10, 2009, I told him that I could no longer live with his abusive behaviour. He got upset with me and took a pair of scissors and cut my clothes and made all kinds of threats that he would do the same thing to me. I was so scared and didn’t know what to do. I eventually called a friend who helped me call the police and he was arrested but no charges were laid.

The question mainly during that time was, “What must I do to make my life better?” I thought of an answer, but only found it scarier than the reality. So I wasn’t only asking myself what I would have to do, but also what I would have had to endure if I stayed. But that day, I decided to break out of the cycle of being scared, to being free.

It was then that my sons and I came to Dr. Roz’s Healing Place. It was a safe environment with people that were there for us at all times. With their advice and support they helped us to be strong, healthy, and have hope everywhere we went. After Dr. Roz’s help we learned from our experiences to not be scared of anything, but always be strong for everything. To stand up for ourselves, which taught us to be happy and cherish every moment of our lives.

So now that leads us to the “present” and the amazing gift we were given, a life of happiness, safe surroundings, and freedom. Thanks to Dr. Roz’s Healing Place, we saw life with new perspective. Thank you so much for having such an impact on our future and making our dreams come true.