WE THREW A PARTY EN MY
ROOM ON MY FLOOR, AND WE
WERE ALL DRINKING.
AND AT SOME POINT, THERE
WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN OUR
ROOM, AND THEN NOT A LOT OF
PEOPLE IN OUR ROOM.
Reporter: WHEN THE
PARTY ENDED, ASHLEY
ABERCROMBIE PASSED OUT FROM
DRINKING TOO MUCH.
BUT SHE WAS NOT ALONE.
A YEAR EARLIER, ASHLEY LEFT
HER SMALL TOWN TO ATTEND
COLLEGE.
SHE WAS ANXIOUS TO PURSUE A
CAREER IN FASHION AND
TEXTILE DESIGN.
I CAME FROM A 15,000
PERSON TOWN, AND STEPPED IN
A COLLEGE THAT WAS TWICE THE
SIZE OF MY HOME TOWN.
I THOUGHT I WOULD LEAVE MY
HOME TOWN AND JUST CHANGE
THE WORLD.
Reporter: SHE ATTENDED
COLLEGE ON A FULL-RIGHT
ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIP AND
PLUGGED RIGHT INTO CAMPUS
LIFE.
I PURSUED THE SAME THINGS
I HAD IN HIGH SCHOOL.
I JOINED THE STUDENT
GOVERNMENT, AND I STARTED AS
AN ATHLETE.
Reporter: BUT THERE WAS
TROUBLE BACK AT HOME.
HER PARENTS DIVORCED DURING
HIS FRESHMAN YEAR.
ASHLEY WAS DEVASTATED.
IT WAS ACTUALLY HARD ON
ME.
I THOUGHT, WHERE IS THE
SOLID GROUND.
HERE I'M IN THIS BRAND NEW
PLACE, AND I'M NOT EVEN SURE
ABOUT HOME ANYMORE.
Reporter: ASHLEY DIDN'T
TALK TO ANYONE ABOUT THE
MOUNTING STRESS IN HER
LIFE.
I DEVELOPED AN EATING
DISORDER, CALLED BULEMIA.
THAT IS ONE WAY I DEALT WITH
THE PRESSURE.
THAT COULD MEAN I COULD HIDE
AND NOT HAVE TO SHARE WITH
PEOPLE.
I COULD BE BEHIND CLOSED
DOORS AND EXPRESS HIS
EMOTION, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS
IN AN UNHEALTHY WAY.
Reporter: IN FACT, SHE
WAS ABLE TO KEEP UP HER
GRADES AND ACTIVITIES FOR A
WHILE, BUT OVER TIME SHE
LOST HER GRIP ON WHO SHE
WAS.
SHE WENT FROM RESPECTED
STUDENT ATHLETE TO PARTY
GIRL.
I STARTED DRINKING ALL OF
THE TIME.
THE ONLY WAY TO COPE WITH
BEING IN A CAGE WAS JUST TO
DRINK MORE OR BINGE AND
PURGE OR DO A DRUG.
ANYTHING THAT WOULD KEEP ME
DISCONNECTED FROM, YOU KNOW,
WHO I WAS.
Reporter: HER GRADES
ALSO SUFFERED.
SHE WAS PLACED ON ACADEMIC
PROBATION AND QUICK THE
ROWING TEAM.
THERE WERE SOME DAYS
WHERE I COULDN'T EVEN GET
OUT OF BED.
I WOULD BE GOING TO CLASSES
AND DOING THINGS WITH MY
FRIENDS, BUT NOT REALLY
THERE, NOT REALLY PRESENT.
Reporter: ONE NIGHT
AFTER ASHLEY AND HER FRIENDS
PARTIED IN HER DORM ROOM,
SHE PASSED OUT FROM DRINKING
TOO MUCH.
A MAN WAITED FOR HER FRIENDS
TO LEAVE, INTENDING TO RAPE
HER.
WHEN I CAME TO AGAIN, THE
FIRST THING I REMEMBER
PICTURING IS MY UNDERWEAR ON
THE FLOOR.
AND THINKING, WHAT IS GOING
ON AND COMING TO AND
REALIZING, OH, MY
GOD,, LIKE, THIS IS REALLY
HAPPENING.
THIS IS REALLY HAPPENING TO
ME.
AND NOT BEING ABLE TO
FIGHT.
AND NOT BEING ABLE TO SAY
ANYTHING OTHER THAN NO,
STOP!
THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN
DO.
IT IS A HELPLESS MOMENT AND
COMPLETE LOSS OF CONTROL.
COMPLETE VIOLATION OF
EVERYTHING A PERSON IS.
Reporter: THE RAPIST
WAS A POPULAR STUDENT
ATHLETE.
AND ASHLEY NEVER PRESSED
CHARGES.
I WASN'T SURE ANYBODY
WOULD BELIEVE ME.
BEING THE PARTY GIRL I WAS,
I THINK THEY WOULD HAVE
THOUGHT I CHOSE TO SLEEP
WITH THIS ATHLETE.
Reporter: AFTER THE
ATTACK, ASHLEY LEFT SCHOOL.
IN A WEIRD WAY, IT SORT
OF SOBERED ME.
THAT THE LIFESTYLE I WAS
LIVING HAD TAKEN ME A PLACE
I NEVER WANTED TO GO.
Reporter: ASHLEY
EVENTUALLY MOVED TO
CALIFORNIA.
BUT SHE SOON REALIZED EVEN A
MOVE ACROSS THE COUNTRY
COULDN'T ERASE HER PAST.
WHEREVER YOU GO, THERE
YOU ARE.
I JUST WANTED BULEMIA TO BE
DONE.
I JUST WANTED THE MEMORIES
TO GO AWAY.
I JUST WANTED THE PAIN TO GO
AWAY.
THAT DIDN'T HELP ME ADDRESS
ANY OF THE REAL ISSUES.
Reporter: SHE STARTED
WORKING AT A RESTAURANT
WHERE SEVERAL OF THE WAIT
STAFF WERE CHRISTIANS.
SHE NOTICED A DIFFERENCE IN
THE WAY THEY LIVED.
THESE PEOPLE HAD THIS
LIFE ON THE INSIDE OF THEM.
AT THE TIME -- NOW I KNOW
WHAT IT IS, BUT AT THE TIME,
I JUST DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO
DESCRIBE IT.
I JUST KNEW I WANTED IT.
WE WOULD GO OUT FOR COFFEE
AND DINNERS.
IT WASN'T TOO OFTEN AFTER
THAT, I ASKED HIM, HEY, CAN
I COME TO CHURCH WITH YOU
GUYS.
Reporter: SHE HEARD A
WOMAN AT CHURCH SHARE A
STORY THAT WAS SIMILAR TO
HER OWN.
IT WAS THE POWER OF A
STORY THAT STARTED TO SET ME
FREE.
AND SO I GAVE MY LIFE TO
CHRIST THAT DAY.
Reporter: ASHLEY WAS
HEALED FROM BULEMIA.
AS SHE LEARNED MORE ABOUT
GOD, SHE UNDERSTOOD THAT SHE
NO LONGER HAD TO HIDE BEHIND
THE MASK OF SHAME.
AS I BEGAN TO RENEW MY
MIND IN
CRIEFTD,
CHRIST, AND
WHAT THAT SIMPLY MEANT TO ME
WAS LEARNING, AND SAWEDING
PALM 1: 39, WHERE GOD SAYS
I'M FEARFULLY AND LOVINGLY
MADE.
GOD FOUND A WAY TO REACH
ME.
GOD FOUND A WH WAY TO
RESTORE MY LIFE.
