Veteran Jane Doe had planned to serve her country as a health care specialist and combat medic. Injuries during training led to a medical discharge. “I never used VA services for my injuries after my medical discharge, it didn’t feel right since I never really served. And I never learned about any services.”
Shortly after she left the service, she moved to this area and married. She and her husband had a child and life appeared to be moving in the right direction. “But over time my husband’s behavior changes. he became angry and unpredictable and I found out he was using drugs. I took my child and we left.”
As often happens, “John” continued to beg her to come back. He said he wasn’t using and promised never to hurt her again. His family begged her to reconcile as well. They began visits so he could see his daughter and eventually, they reunited.
Jane thought all was well, but behind the scenes, John’s mental instability had worsened and he was planning to get even for her leaving him. he had one of his friends take her to look at a property and a house in another state where he supposedly had a new job. Halfway there, the friend abandoned her. He confessed that while they were gone, her husband was filing for sole custody of their daughter and that the end game had been for her to never come back. “He told me he couldn’t go through with it, but he was too afraid of my husband to help me. He just dumped me with no ID, no money, and no idea of where I was. “
Alone in a city, she didn’t know with no money, no idea what to do, and confused and traumatized by everything that had happened, she was easy prey for people who wanted to take advantage. Jane accepted help from some people she thought were legitimate and a horror story of trafficking and prostitution began. “It took me three years to get away and I did some things I’m not proud of to make it here. But I’m trying to do what’s right. I appreciate St. Francis House so much. It’s still hard though; I mean, they have programs for recovery for drug use; I’ve never seen a program for prostitution rehab….”
Jane has a job lined up and a place to live away from any contact with family or friends from those times. She hopes to eventually get her daughter back.