Survivor shares scars of domestic violence at annual observance

LISBON - Leetonia resident Kay Mangus shared her scars from domestic violence with a roomful of people Thursday, then let them go with the release of a single purple balloon, surrounded by others who did the same.

"By telling my story, hopefully it will keep domestic violence out in the open," she said.

Mangus was one of a handful of speakers during the annual Christina House domestic violence awareness event which ended with the release of purple balloons attached to pieces of paper containing the names of domestic violence victims and survivors. October was recognized as Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Years of abuse at the hands of her now ex-husband culminated with an event on March 9, 2006 which changed the lives of Mangus and her then 15-year-old daughter forever and sent her attacker to prison for five years for felonious assault.

That was the night the man she decided to leave chased her through her house with a knife, then beat her in the face with a broken beer bottle and kept hitting her, telling their daughter as she tried to call for help that he wouldn't stop unless she dropped the phone. If her son hadn't come through the door and pulled him off of her, she said she would have died that night.

Her advice for other victims of abuse was to "get help and get out."

She and her daughter went through counseling and she is recovering. Elaine Kloss, the legal advocate for the Christina House domestic violence program said she felt the recovery process was at the point where it was okay to talk about what happened.

Kloss helped Mangus get a protection order which was finalized just hours before the attack.

Other speakers included Daryl Hersh of Ozer Ministries headquartered in East Palestine, Christina House Program Manager Beth Schmitt, Pastor Pam Gable of the Lisbon First United Methodist Church and Nickie Ostick, Christina House Victim Outreach Coordinator, who organized the event.

Ostick said they hold the event at the end of the month to remind people that even though the Domestic Violence Awareness Month is ending, help is still available by calling the Christina House 24-hour crisis line at 424-0036.

"Helping a victim become a survivor is the harder part of the job we do," Ostick said, giving recognition to all the partners who assist the program.

One of those partners, Ozer Ministries, holds support group sessions from 1 to 2:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Monday at the Catholic Charities Senior Center in East Liverpool and from 7:30 to 9 p.m. every Monday at the Way Station in Columbiana. To contact Hersh, call 426-2147.

During her speech, Hersh used the stories she's heard over and over again to describe what domestic violence is, noting it's more than being hit or pushed, it's about "...feeling alone and isolated, feeling as if there is no hope, no options."

But she said "the truth is you have value and you have worth. There is hope. Even if you feel like you are all alone, you are not alone. Find someone you can trust. Get help. There are options."

mgreier@salemnews.net