Together We Heal is for any who suffer from the trauma of childhood sexual abuse. We provide a safe forum for survivors of abuse to share, learn and heal. We work to expose sexual predators and their methods of getting into our lives.
In the following article you will read why the fight to make change within the Roman Catholic Church, and any organization really, takes so long…if ever. It’s because the very people charged with the duty of protecting our children are the ones offending and committing the crimes and then doing all they can to cover it up.
This is why we do what we do. This is why we won’t stop until these people are removed from places of authority. And this is why we continue to ask for your help. All of our children and the adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse need your help. If you don’t, then who will? Certainly not the people in power right now. They are in self-preservation mode and they couldn’t care less about your kids or the ones already harmed.
But don’t take my word for it…PLEASE, do your own research and find out for yourself. Then join us in fighting this evil that is beyond the pale and do something to help. Give financially if able, give of your time to kids in need, or offer your services to adults who cling to life every day because of the pain they live in. Please do something. I’m begging of you.
In 2006 David took the first step in a long and painful journey back from the abyss of addiction and self-destruction. He promised his dying father that he would get clean. And he did. But as he cleaned his body and soul, he began to confront the sexual abuse that his addiction had for so long obscured — abuse perpetrated by a church youth minister when David was 12 to 15 years old.
Those three years of abuse destroyed the foundation of love and faith that had been built by his family. For 25 years, David kept the abuse secret and lost himself in a fog of drugs and alcohol. He was by turns destitute, at times incarcerated.
The promise to his dying father was the catalyst. And the bedrock of his mother’s love and devotion was the foundation on which David rebuilt his life. Therapy, 12-step meetings, and soul-deep determination were the bricks and mortar.
David founded Together We Heal to provide fellow survivors and their families, guidance through the trauma of childhood sexual abuse. In 2015 he was asked to become a part of the Child Safeguarding Initiative team with GRACE (Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment) to empower the Christian community through education and training to recognize, prevent, and respond to child abuse.
David represents Together We Heal & GRACE across the country as a public speaker and instructor; teaching churches, schools, and families how to talk with their kids about sexual abuse, how to better identify predatory behavior, and how to properly respond to those harmed.
"To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.” - Dr. Seuss
I my opinion, organizations try and put off change so as to try and not look guilty. What I guess I will never understand is why the law makers of every nook, cranny and corner of this country stand idle with their hands in their pockets and make all the media appearances when there is a story that makes national or state wide press as long as the story is still the lead story, and go back to the office and do nothing after the cameras go away. Lawmakers, it is very simple. You are either blind, stupid or ignorant. Most people in jail were abuse victims of some sort. Help them early and it may bring down the prison population. I sent an email to Mark Rubio of Florida, who says he wants to hear from us but I guess that means he just wants to hear not listen and get back, about this very thing. Two months out he’s still not listening. As for sexual abuse and rape, REMOVE THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS ON VICTIMS SO THE CRIMINAL CAN NO LONGER SCARE A VICTIM INTO SILENCE LONG ENOUGH TO GET AWAY WITH IT. If a person even acts like they have a weapon and end up with no money they face arrest for the rest of their life. But you can totally destroy a life and get away with it in as little as three years. What is wrong with this picture?
I couldn’t agree more! The ONE and only thing it seems like Florida has right, and yes I am a resident too, is we are the ONLY state that has removed the SOL. Now, as you said, EVERY other state needs to do the same thing. As long as the archaic laws stand, these sexual predators will continue to get away with murdering the souls of our children.
It was just recently. A woman named Lauren Book helped make it happen because she was a victim of CSA and her dad was a longtime lawmaker in fl. Sadly it took the child of a legislator being molested before it happened, but at least it did.
I had always thought that it was going to take a very personal violation of some high up person to make this happen. I told the lawmakers back in 2000 when I sent out almost 400 letters state wide that I would not want to be the one telling another parent their child was a victim when they could make the difference by changing the loopholes that let predators walk scott free. I know it helped the man that raped me because they said “You stayed quiet to long”. And it was ” My fault because my first recall was at the age of 13 or 14 but later got a trigger that showed me plain as day that I was 9 and that they would not even attempt to take it to trial and ruin his life”. Wow, I would never have thought about RUINING someones life that was such a model citizen.
I hear you. I ran into the SOL wall in Georgia when I was finally able to acknowledge what had happened to me. By then it was too late for me and at least 7 other boys who have since come forward. And to this day my abuser, Frankie Wiley, walks free and has access to young boys, even though the church he works at has been warned. The innocence lost of the boys in that church is on on the heads of the parents and preacher who have chosen to do NOTHING. And may God NOT have mercy on their souls.
I think you are working in such a broad condemnation of all nuns. I taught with and was educated by remarkable women who NEVER engaged in such horrifying behavior. Be cautious in your accusations
Clearly not all nuns are bad people. But sadly not enough of the good ones, or priests, or all other figures of authority in most religious and civic institutions are doing enough to protect children and help survivors of CSA. that’s the point of the article. A person who read the same article as yourself posted the following comments and I think it sums up best the take away that should’ve been, well, taken away…
“Any perpetrator, male or female, clergy or otherwise should be held accountable. I think it is time for the Catholic church to do a complete overhaul and develop policy and procedures that are institutionalized, beginning with education about sexual abuse and abuse of power. The victims need support and safe havens to tell their stories, be believed and kept safe. Schools and homes are supposed to be safe paces for children; sadly, this is not always true. Difficult to challenge and change when secrecy fosters the deception and further hurts the survivors.” Judith B.
When or if the RCC makes REAL change and quits protecting the pedophiles within, then we will sing their praises. Until that day myself, and everyone associated with TWH, will keep demanding that they do. And that goes for every religion, school and all other groups that have access to children and do NOTHING to protect them.
Together we heal; I agree with all that you have said. First and foremost, ALL CHURCHES, RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION, AND ALL SECULAR ENTITIES, need to be trnasparent, honest and up front. None of the sweeping under the rug stuff any longer. All of us in any place of authority, power or no power, have the responsibility to protect our young, regardless. Finally, churces need to do their job too, and stop bickering over Titles, Power, Authority and Man-made laws that tend to divide rather than to unite. The business of “We are right and they are wrong and etc!” Has to come to a stop. Such blatent hippocracy takes us nowhere!
Faith, dignity, holiness, honesty, compassion, and love! Is this so hard to do???
Together We Heal 
August 30, 2013 at 7:35 pm
I my opinion, organizations try and put off change so as to try and not look guilty. What I guess I will never understand is why the law makers of every nook, cranny and corner of this country stand idle with their hands in their pockets and make all the media appearances when there is a story that makes national or state wide press as long as the story is still the lead story, and go back to the office and do nothing after the cameras go away. Lawmakers, it is very simple. You are either blind, stupid or ignorant. Most people in jail were abuse victims of some sort. Help them early and it may bring down the prison population. I sent an email to Mark Rubio of Florida, who says he wants to hear from us but I guess that means he just wants to hear not listen and get back, about this very thing. Two months out he’s still not listening. As for sexual abuse and rape, REMOVE THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS ON VICTIMS SO THE CRIMINAL CAN NO LONGER SCARE A VICTIM INTO SILENCE LONG ENOUGH TO GET AWAY WITH IT. If a person even acts like they have a weapon and end up with no money they face arrest for the rest of their life. But you can totally destroy a life and get away with it in as little as three years. What is wrong with this picture?
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August 30, 2013 at 7:41 pm
I couldn’t agree more! The ONE and only thing it seems like Florida has right, and yes I am a resident too, is we are the ONLY state that has removed the SOL. Now, as you said, EVERY other state needs to do the same thing. As long as the archaic laws stand, these sexual predators will continue to get away with murdering the souls of our children.
LikeLike
August 30, 2013 at 7:44 pm
When did they finally remove the SOL ? I know several groups and individuals like me that had no idea it had changed.
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August 30, 2013 at 7:50 pm
It was just recently. A woman named Lauren Book helped make it happen because she was a victim of CSA and her dad was a longtime lawmaker in fl. Sadly it took the child of a legislator being molested before it happened, but at least it did.
LikeLike
August 30, 2013 at 9:35 pm
I had always thought that it was going to take a very personal violation of some high up person to make this happen. I told the lawmakers back in 2000 when I sent out almost 400 letters state wide that I would not want to be the one telling another parent their child was a victim when they could make the difference by changing the loopholes that let predators walk scott free. I know it helped the man that raped me because they said “You stayed quiet to long”. And it was ” My fault because my first recall was at the age of 13 or 14 but later got a trigger that showed me plain as day that I was 9 and that they would not even attempt to take it to trial and ruin his life”. Wow, I would never have thought about RUINING someones life that was such a model citizen.
LikeLike
August 31, 2013 at 1:38 am
I hear you. I ran into the SOL wall in Georgia when I was finally able to acknowledge what had happened to me. By then it was too late for me and at least 7 other boys who have since come forward. And to this day my abuser, Frankie Wiley, walks free and has access to young boys, even though the church he works at has been warned. The innocence lost of the boys in that church is on on the heads of the parents and preacher who have chosen to do NOTHING. And may God NOT have mercy on their souls.
LikeLike
August 30, 2013 at 7:39 pm
Reblogged this on justiceforkevinandjenveybaylis.
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August 31, 2013 at 8:36 am
I think you are working in such a broad condemnation of all nuns. I taught with and was educated by remarkable women who NEVER engaged in such horrifying behavior. Be cautious in your accusations
LikeLike
September 1, 2013 at 1:48 am
Ms. Currie,
Clearly not all nuns are bad people. But sadly not enough of the good ones, or priests, or all other figures of authority in most religious and civic institutions are doing enough to protect children and help survivors of CSA. that’s the point of the article. A person who read the same article as yourself posted the following comments and I think it sums up best the take away that should’ve been, well, taken away…
“Any perpetrator, male or female, clergy or otherwise should be held accountable. I think it is time for the Catholic church to do a complete overhaul and develop policy and procedures that are institutionalized, beginning with education about sexual abuse and abuse of power. The victims need support and safe havens to tell their stories, be believed and kept safe. Schools and homes are supposed to be safe paces for children; sadly, this is not always true. Difficult to challenge and change when secrecy fosters the deception and further hurts the survivors.” Judith B.
When or if the RCC makes REAL change and quits protecting the pedophiles within, then we will sing their praises. Until that day myself, and everyone associated with TWH, will keep demanding that they do. And that goes for every religion, school and all other groups that have access to children and do NOTHING to protect them.
LikeLike
September 2, 2013 at 11:56 am
Together we heal; I agree with all that you have said. First and foremost, ALL CHURCHES, RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION, AND ALL SECULAR ENTITIES, need to be trnasparent, honest and up front. None of the sweeping under the rug stuff any longer. All of us in any place of authority, power or no power, have the responsibility to protect our young, regardless. Finally, churces need to do their job too, and stop bickering over Titles, Power, Authority and Man-made laws that tend to divide rather than to unite. The business of “We are right and they are wrong and etc!” Has to come to a stop. Such blatent hippocracy takes us nowhere!
Faith, dignity, holiness, honesty, compassion, and love! Is this so hard to do???
LikeLike
August 31, 2013 at 11:39 am
Reblogged this on Speakingtruthinlove's Blog.
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