Healing Hearts Child Advocacy Center....Anna, The real story.

 (Names and identifying information has been changed to protect confidentiality)

Meet "Anna".  Anna is five years old and was sexually abused by one of her caretakers, in our community of DeSoto County.  When Anna shared that she had been abused, her abuser was unable to be prosecuted.  Her story haunted me!  I couldn't forget about Anna, even though I saw hundreds of children like her in my private practice.  The system that was designed to protect her was broken.  Anna asked me, "Why did he get away with it?"  and I didn't have an answer for her. After Anna I decided there was more that could be done to fight child abuse and fight for our children.  In 2013 Healing Hearts Child Advocacy Center began providing services to victims of child abuse and their families.  With your support, we have helped our police departments, detectives, district attorneys and DFCS work together as a team to get our children justice.

1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will be the victim of sexual abuse before their 18th birthday.  Child abuse is not a topic anyone likes to talk about but child abuse is happening in every community, our community.  EVERYONE knows someone that has been abused even if you don't know their story.  It takes a whole community to fight child abuse and keep our children safe. 

Healing Hearts Child Advocacy Center is making a difference in the lives of children.  Child abuse cases presented to the grand jury have gone up 400%, perpetrators are getting longer prison sentences and the children are receiving services to help them heal.  

I made a promise to Anna that I would do everything I could to fight for children like her, help protect them and hold the people that hurt them accountable.  Help Healing Hearts Child Advocacy Center fulfill that promise and show your commitment to fighting child abuse by giving today.  Please give generously today.  Every penny will help. Anna is counting on you.  We cannot fail her again.   

Ashley Schachterle, Executive Director