My son was left bleeding out on the street after being cored, carved and stabbed. Thankfully, he explained to those around him how to make a tourniquet before losing consciousness. (Evidence Photo).

This picture is symbolic for me.  First, it represents the last time I listened to my instincts as a mother (by taking it). Secondly, the complexity of the medical equipment represents...

Imagine the scenario I wrote about in an earlier post. Your daughter has been beaten and raped and the press is reporting that she made it up or agreed to “rough sex”.  Basically reporting the defense’s strategy as fact. It happens. It happens all the time. And trolls – under the cloak of anonymity – write inconceivable things in comments, blogs and other social media such as Red...

Take your power where you can.

The day my son was stabbed, cored and carved the prosecutor called me and said this: “Although we can’t tell you not to talk to the press, we can say it could interfere with the trial.” So we didn’t talk to the press.

We had the Harborview communications staff field calls and tell every reporter that we weren’t making statements or giving interviews....

Imagine that your daughter has been beaten and raped. You rush to the hospital and find her in ICU fighting for her life. Homicide detectives come and try to get information from her in case she dies. She is hooked up to machines you don’t understand. Healthcare workers are talking in a language you don’t understand. The prosecutor is talking in legalize which you don’t understan...

Lose a friend, gain a friend and change your life…

If you or your child is the victim of violent crime you will lose a friend. Because you will be disappointed in someone. Someone will let you down.  And it will be okay because…

people you never guessed will flood in to help. The day after Graham was stabbed, his friends, our friends and family, etc. filled the waiting area of the...

Let me premise this post by saying the victim advocate assigned to my son and our family following my son’s stabbing was kind, educated, and smart. She is a person that adds to the world and I’m glad she’s in it. That being said, victim advocates are employed by the state not the victim. I’ve come to the conclusion that the victim advocate system is more of a victim management sy...

My point to publishing this post is: don't be naive during or after the violence. People who commit crime will continue. The picture above is an injury to my son's arm where a technique called "Hook and Destroy" was used by his stabber to pull him closer. Protect yourself and your family by being aware and doing your research ...

From Maya Angelou: ‘When People Show You Who They A...

Years ago I worked in a medical center and had the opportunity to serve on a leadership group with the director of nursing. I was surprised to hear that some of the nurses who received the most glowing recommendations were sometimes the nurses that were being disciplined. And the reverse was true. Some nurses who were well regarded by physicians were sometimes not liked by patien...

Many times the best tool is the simplest. When you first get to the hospital, have a friend bring you a notebook - the kind with the plastic zip envelope inside - and a pen. You are about to be bombarded by a million details, dozens of people, instructions for medication, follow up appointments, etc. You will meet police, detectives, nurses, counselors, physicians, prosecutors, v...