‘My MARRIED Corporal would call me drunk at all hours of the night, calling me ‘baby.’ I was punished for not wanting to socialize with him outside of work.’: Female veteran, assault survivor says ‘we are all Vanessa Guillen’

“I was young and naïve when I left home at 18 years old to join the Marine Corps. I remember lying awake in my empty barracks as Marines knocked on my door saying, ‘I’m gonna get you first.’ I was harassed and accused of ‘sleeping my way through the ranks.’ I quickly realized not everyone in the Corps was my ‘brother’ or ‘sister.'”

‘Miranda, you can’t be in that much pain. You’re being a killjoy. Knock it off.’ I was popping Advil. I lost all feeling in my leg.’: Teen battles Ewing’s Sarcoma after being written off, ‘I am a survivor, not a statistic’

“I was 15 and no one took me seriously. One day, the neurologist came back in and said, ‘Miranda, there’s no easy way to say this. We found something in your spine.’ Panic. Blackness. I nearly passed out. I was treated without any consent, which still haunts me to this day. I was hallucinating for 36 hours straight.”

‘Are YOU okay, ma’am?’ The officer was staring at my passenger, my 15-year-old son. Her hand shot right back on her gun.’: Mom speaks out about racism against son, ‘My skin protected him’

“I was pulled over for driving over the speed limit. I BROKE THE LAW! Each officer got out, slowly approached my car with their hands on their guns. That had never happened to me before, so I thought it strange. One cautiously approached my window and asked, ‘Are YOU okay, Ma’am?’ She stared at my son with a look I had never seen in an officer before.”

‘My mother said, ‘We need to have a talk.’ She placed me in a trance. She kept me close, controlling all my decisions in the name of ‘love.’: Narcissistic abuse survivor urges ‘you deserve to be safe and happy’

“She made me feel special, then she controlled what clothes I could wear, what friends I could have, where I went to college, and my wedding. She wanted to ‘show me off’ to her friends. But there was a huge price to be paid. She found any excuse to keep me with my vices if it meant keeping me close to her.”

‘Legs are bowed. All bones, bowed. Extremely short.’ I felt my heart sink. ‘I don’t see the point in continuing. You can end it now, quickly.’: Family cherishes 29 hours with Osteogenesis Imperfecta warrior

“‘Let me see her eyes. Please please, let Maverick meet her alive.’ Before I knew it, I heard, ‘Happy Birthday!’ Huh? She’s here? Why don’t I hear crying? I couldn’t see anything beside the ceiling, doctors moving around. ‘Is she breathing? Is she?’ Tears were flowing from my eyes. She smiled at her brother and her daddy. She waited until we got one more kiss.”

Join our newsletter.

Captivating stories. Actionable insights. Evidence-backed advice.

    Unsubscribe at any time.

    Join our newsletter.

    Captivating stories. Actionable insights. Evidence-backed advice.

      Unsubscribe at any time.

      Copyright © 2025 Love What Matters. All Rights Reserved.