Reporter: THE TRAUMA OF
RAPE IS BEYOND MOST PEOPLE'S
IMAGINATIONS, BUT ROSEMARY
TRIPLE UNDERSTANDS.
SHE SURVIVED A BRUTAL RAPE
AND IS USING HER EXPERIENCE
TO BRING OTHERS HEALING.
OFFERING HOPE ONE BOX AT A
TIME.
VOLUNTEERS FOR HER
NON-PROFIT, "FEAR TO
FREEDOM" LOVINGLY PACK
AFTER-CARE KITS FOR RAPE AND
ASSAULT VICTIMS.
WHILE THE ORGANIZATION CAN'T
TAKE AWAY THE PAIN,
VOLUNTEERS HOPE TO BRING
HEALING THROUGH COMPASSION,
AND ENCOURAGE VICTIMS ON
THEIR JOURNEYS FROM FEAR TO
FREEDOM.
Terry: ROSEMARY TRIPLE
IS WITH US NOW.
AND ROSEMARY, WE THANK YOU
SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
IT IS GREAT TO HAVE YOU ON
"THE 700 CLUB."
AS WE MENTIONED EARLIER, YOU
EXPERIENCED A RAPE YOURSELF
THAT DRAMATICALLY AFFECTED
YOUR LIFE.
TELL US ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED
TO YOU?
YES.
AND WHEN I HEAR A STORY LIKE
EMILY'S, IT JUST BREAKS MY
HEART.
BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND, AS
I'VE WALKED THROUGH WITH SO
MANY WOMEN WHO HAVE BEEN
SEXUALLY ASSAULT, THIS PAIN
OF ASSAULT.
YES, MY OWN PASSION FOR THIS
TOPIC CAME WHEN I WAS 25
YEARS OLD AND HAD THIS
TELEVISION TALK SHOW IN
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.
I LOVED THE OPPORTUNITY TO
BE ON THE SHOW AND FOR TWO
YEARS TO HOST DIFFERENT
PEOPLE.
BUT DOING A SHOW ON SEXUAL
ASSAULT IN 1975 WAS
SOMETHING THAT NOBODY WAS
TALKING ABOUT.
THE RESPONSE WAS AMAZING.
HUNDREDS OF WOMEN WHO HAD
NEVER BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED FOR
THE PAIN THAT THEY HAD
RECEIVED.
AFTERWARDS, HUNDREDS OF
CALLS, AND YET ONLY FOUR
DAYS LATER I WOULD HAVE
NEVER DREAMED THAT I WAS
GOING TO BE THE NEXT
VICTIM.
Terry: AND FOR YOU, YOU
SAID THAT THE WORST PART, AS
TERRIBLE AS THE ASSAULT
ITSELF WAS, THE WORST PART
IS THE FEAR THAT LINGERS
AFTERWARDS.
HOW DID YOU DEAL WITH THAT?
YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
THE MEMORY OF HIM SAYING,
WHEN HE FIRST GRABBED ME
FROM BEHIND, I KNOW WHO YOU
ARE, I KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE,
AND I'LL KILL YOU IF YOU
TELL.
AS HE CONTINUED THAT
DEVASTATING DREAM, IT'S
ALMOST LIKE A TAPE RECORDER
THAT YOU CAN'T TURN OFF.
Terry: AND THEN YOU
WENT THROUGH A ROBBERY,
SHORTLY AFTER THAT, AN
INVASION IN YOUR HOME?
AND THAT ALSO ADDED TO
THE FEAR.
AT THAT POINT I HAD A
2-YEAR-OLD LITTLE GIRL AND
THAT ADDED TO THAT TRAUMA.
FOR ME, AS WELL, IT WAS
FORGIVENESS THAT WAS TRULY
THE THING THAT SET ME FREE.
AND I'M SO THANKFUL ALSO TO
THE LORD BECAUSE IT IS WHAT
SET FREE MY OFFENDER AS
WELL.
Terry: WHAT I LOVE
ABOUT THIS IS THAT YOU HAVE
TAKEN THE NEGATIVE THAT
HAPPENED TO YOU AND YOU'RE
DOING SOMETHING AMAZING FOR
OTHERS WITH IT.
YOU HAVE AN ORGANIZATION
THAT'S CALLED "FEAR 2
FREEDOM."
TELL ME ABOUT THE
SIGNIFICANCE OF THAT AND
WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
WE WANT TO REDEEM AND
RESTORE THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN
SEXUALLY ASSAULTED, AND GIVE
THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRING
HOPE AND HEALING.
IT GOES BACK TO THE FACT
THAT EVERY TWO MINUTES IN
OUR COUNTRY, SOMEONE IN OUR
COUNTRY IS SEXUALLY
ASSAULTED.
WE'RE IN THE BUSINESS OF
REDEEMING JOY.
Terry: HOW DO YOU DO
THAT?
A COMBINATION OF A
PROGRAM CALLED "WHERE IS THE
LINE" FOR UNIVERSITY
STUDENTS.
PARTNERS THE STUDENTS WITH
THOSE IN A HOSPITAL, SO WE
CAN PRODUCE THESE WONDERFUL
"FEAR 2 FREEDOM" KITS TO
BRING A LITTLE REDEEMED JOY
INTO THEIR HEARTS.
Terry: THESE ARE SO
BEAUTIFULLY DONE.
YOU HAVEN'T JUST
THOUGHTFULLY PUT THINGS INTO
IT.
YOU BEAUTIFULLY HAVE PUT
THINGS INTO SOMETHING THAT
IS GOING TO COME IN TOUCH
WITH PEOPLE AT A VERY UGLY,
FRIGHTENING TIME IN THEIR
LIVES.
I LOVE THE FACT THAT YOU'VE
INVOLVED COLLEGE STUDENTS IN
THIS BECAUSE SOME OF THESE
STATS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT
ARE MOST PREVALENT ON
COLLEGE CAMPUSES.
COLLEGE STUDENTS ARE FOUR
TIMES MORE LIKELY TO BE
SEXUALLY ABUSED DURING THOSE
FOUR YEARS.
AND WE ALSO WANT TO RAISE
AWARENESS AMONG THE COLLEGE
STUDENTS, AND GIVE THEM A
WAY TO TANGIBLELY MAKE A
DIFFERENCE AND BE PART OF
THE SOLUTION.
THAT, I BELIEVE, WILL
REALLY, TRULY BEGIN TO
CHANGE OUR CULTURE.
Terry: WHAT YOU'VE PUT
IN THE BOXES IS SO SYMBOLIC,
SIGNIFICANT, AND NEEDED.
TALK ABOUT WHAT A PERSON
RECEIVES WHEN THEY RECEIVE
THIS.
WE WANT IT TO BE LIKE A
GIFT.
IT HAS SWEAT PANTS AND A
T-SHIRT.
IT HAS UNDERWEAR, AND THIS
WONDERFUL LITTLE FREEDOM
BEAR, AND THIS BOOK THAT
TELLS THE STORY OF ONE MY
UNIVERSITY GIRLS WHO WAS
RAPED AT 7 YEARS OLD AT A
PICNIC TABLE.
AND THE LITTLE BEAR WAS
THROWN AGAINST THE TABLE AND
HIS HEART WAS TORN, AND SHE
COULDN'T HEAL IT.
BUT THE LITTLE BEAR USED
THAT TO HEAL HER.
IT HAS NOTES ON THE BACK OF
HIS BACKPACK.
SOMEONE THAT WAS ABUSED
WOULD WRITE, "I WAS DATE
RAPED" AND A CHILD MAY EVEN
DRAW A STICK FIGURE.
THEY WOULD PUT IT IN THE
HEART OF THE BEAR.
INSIDE THE HEART OF THE BEAR
IT WOULD STAY FOR A WHILE,
UNTIL THEY GOT A LITTLE
STRONGER.
AND THEN THEY WOULD TAKE
THAT OUT AND DROP IT INTO
WATER.
AT FIRST THE WORDS
DISAPPEAR, AND THEN THE
ENTIRE PAPER DISAPPEARS.
IT IS A LITTLE SYMBOL THEY
DON'T HAVE TO STAY A
VICTIM.
Terry: SO IT IS PART OF
THE PROCESS TO HEALING.
EVEN THOUGH THIS IS KIND OF
AN AWKWARD SITUATION, WHEN
YOU AND I FIRST TALKED AND
YOU SHOWED ME THIS BOX, I
THOUGHT, WHY WOULD YOU PUT
UNDERWEAR IN A BOX.
BUT YOU SHARED WITH ME
SOMETHING THAT WAS PRETTY
STARTLING.
WE DON'T REALIZE THAT
MOST OF THE HOSPITALS IN THE
COUNTRY, WHEN PEOPLE COME
FOR THE DATE-RAPE, THEY
DON'T KNOW THAT ALL THEIR
CLOTHES ARE HELD WITH
EVIDENCE.
OFTENTIMES THEY LEAVE IN
PAPER SCRUBS.
IT ADDS TO THE SHAME AND
GUILT.
IT BROKE MY HEART, HAVING
BEEN A VICTIM MYSELF.
THE TOILETRIES ARE NOT
ADMITTED TO THE HOSPITAL IN
THE EMERGENCY ROOM.
THE TOILETRIES GIVE THEM A
CHANCE TO TAKE A SHOWER.
YOU WANT A SHOWER SO MUCH.
THE TOOTHBRUSH AND
TOOTHPASTE ALLOW THEM TO
BRUSH THEIR TEETH.
SOME OF THESE WOMEN ARE
GOING DIRECTLY TO A
SHELTER.
THIS ALSO GOES TO WOMEN OF
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND
CHILDREN THAT HAVE BEEN
ABUSED.
WE WANT IT TO GO TO ANYONE
WHO COMES TO THAT HOSPITAL
NEEDING THE COMFORT AND
HOPING AND BELIEVING THAT
THE STORY HERE OF MOLLY WILL
HELP THEM SEE THAT THEY CAN
HAVE A FUTURE, TOO, AND NOT
BE STUCK AS A VICTIM.
Terry: THERE CAN BE A
FRESH START, A NEW
BEGINNING.
AND THAT THEY'RE HUMAN.
YES.
AND FOR THE CHILDREN, THE
BEAR GEAR, THIS IS A LITTLE
BOOK BAG, AND THE ONLY
DIFFERENCE FOR THEM IS IT
ALSO HAS TOYS AND STICKER
BOOKS.
THE EXAM IS OFTENTIMES TWO
HOURS LONG, AND FOR A CHILD
THAT IS DIFFICULT.
WE'RE IN THREE HOSPITALS IN
RIVERSIDE, CHILDREN'S
HOSPITALS, AND M.C. D. IN
RICHMOND, AND ONE OF THE
WOMEN TOLD US ABOUT A VERY
SMALL CHILD THAT GOT THE
BOOK BAG AND WAS SO THRILLED
AND HELD ON TO THE LITTLE
CLOTHES AND JUST CLUTCHED
THE LITTLE BEAR AS THEY WERE
GOING THROUGH THIS EXAM.
AS SHE WALKED OUT, SHE HAD
THE BOOK BAG AND ALL THE
NURSE COULD SEE WAS THE
BEAR, SHE WAS SO TINY.
WE HOPE IT WILL BRING THEM
THAT REDEEMED JOY.
Terry: YOU'RE DOING A
MARVELOUS THING FOR PEOPLE
WHO FIND THEMSELVES IN VERY
DEVASTATING CIRCUMSTANCES.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
SHARING YOUR STORY WITH US.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE MORE
INFORMATION ON ROSE MAYOR
ROSEMARY'S "FEAR 2 FREEDOM,"
PROGRAM, LOG ON TO
CBN.COM.
