November Spotlight: Domestic Violence Champions—Men

This month Big Sis & Company wanted to spotlight male survivors of abuse... Our first champion story is very touching!  Read the story of Lee Wade.

HisStory

I grew up in a home where my dad was beating on my moms at will it seems like. I can remember one instance when my moms received a check and my dad wanted to cash the check so my moms signed it and he got mad at her. He called her all kinds of names.

I was standing there watching this unfold and I felt helpless because I was two little. Mind you I was around five when this happened. I was so scared. He beat her and beat her so bad that she passed out. He left her there on the floor. She finally gets up and looked at me and said don't worry baby mommy is alright.

Because of the things I witnessed my schooling suffered because of lack of sleep. My teachers would always ask why I was so tired. I told them nothing in fear of being beaten. Little do I know that I was next. My mom finally got the courage to leave, but she left me there with my father. My father was a drunk. He would get drunk and beat my moms. He was also dating a woman up the street at that time who my moms knew about. Once my mom left, he would get drunk and beat me.

Mainly because he could not find his girlfriend. I use to go to school with bruises on my body. I couldnt change for gym because I didn't want no one to know. Kids can be real brutal.

When I was 14, I will never forget this........it had snowed the day before and at that time my baby brother was staying with us, and my dad wasn't drunk that day but he had gotten mad at me about something and started to beat me. Something snapped and I ran out the house with no shoes on, a tee shirt and shorts. I called my moms and she told me to go to my aunt's house so I ran in the snow to my aunts house.

I got there and at the time my aunt was a nurse, so she wrapped me up and told me I was crazy for coming outside like that......to make a long story short.....I almost lost my feet and hands. My life as a kid. My message to all those in an abusive situation is things do get better if you just have faith in your creator, and don't ever give up.
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Lee Wade is a proud parent, and one of the hosts of the new hit online blogtalk radio show, " Negro News Hour."