“Life is a promise; fulfill it.” 

    -Mother Theresa

 

Life is a promise; fulfill it. A few simple words can empower us to do life changing things. For me, it is taking an experience that has forever changed my life and my children’s and do something good with it. It is about showing two little lives that I created to grow up in a world of love, a life of feeling secure and happy. Sometimes tragedies force us to do incredible things in life, as a survivor this is about making a difference to help others. In no shape or form is it easy to talk about what I went through or to share it but I want my scars to serve a positive purpose. I know I am VERY blessed to have the family, friends and church family that I do. When I finally told the truth about what I was going through, the pain I was enduring, they stepped up to help in such ways that I will forever be grateful. It made the FEAR of walking away from an abusive relationship a little more bearable. I know not everyone has that type of support, so it is why I created the ‘Danielle Krout & Family Domestic Violence Awareness Fund.’ Every part of this fund is about helping other survivors live, helping them to walk away sooner than I did. To help with the unforeseen cost a victim will have. If this fund can help one survivor, then that is one life you & I have helped change. I hope it helps more than one victim, I also hope it helps to raise awareness on this heartbreaking issue.

 

Domestic Violence impacts more than 10 million women a year. A number that is dangerously high. It shows no boundaries, it can happen to anyone. On the outside, I looked to have the fairytale life. I had a great job, was a successful TV reporter, married the son well-known business in a small town. We had a beautiful home, a rambunctious dog and gorgeous baby girl and baby number two was on the way. Behind the closed door of that beautiful home, I hid a terrible secret. I was the victim of domestic abuse. It became more frequent and constant when my daughter was born, which is why it made walking away so much harder. Until one night, the abuse went too far. Even then, I was in fear of the courts, the idea of walking away and how this would impact my children. The threats and retaliation of what would happen if I went through with the charges. (It happened anyway.) It was a dark secret that I kept hidden until it came shattering to the front of headlines, literally. The courts looked at my attacker as a "first time offender," my body and scars prove different as it does for most survivors, it is never just a ‘one-time thing.’ My abuser was sentenced to 23 months probation for severely beating me when I was 26 weeks pregnant with our second child. It took three staples to close my skull and weeks for my body to heal. In all honesty, the scars will always be there as a painful reminder, but my life has moved forward and on in such remarkable ways that I am here today to tell you, it does get better when you leave, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

 

My fund is designed to raise awareness to help others. This year, I have chosen the proceeds to benefit A Woman’s Place in Bucks County for their phenomenal work and education to help victims, along with Blair County Victim/Witness Program under the District Attorney’s Office under Sue Griep. Sue, has become a friend and mentor and continues to inspire and push me live my life, not as a victim but a survivor. If only every county had a woman’s place like the one in Bucks and an advocate like Sue should survivors everywhere have a different future, a better story with a happier ending. I’m lucky because, after a lot of bumps in the road, I finally walked away. Please consider donating to the Danielle Krout & Family Domestic Violence Awareness Fund to help others in an abusive relationship to leave before it's too late. Also, join us September 9th, at Tony’s Bar & Grill for the First Annual Cruise to Move Forward… On the Road to a Healthier-Safer Life. A classic car show. 

 

I will warn you the photos you will see are the more appropriate images I felt were decent to get my message across but they can be disturbing to some. They are heartbreaking, painful and real. My name is Danielle Krout, I am a survivor and this is just a glimpse of my story.