Ava Stokes understands the vital importance of your support of the Bon Secours Violence Response Team better than anyone. Thanks to your generosity, Ava had a team of professionals to help her after she was assaulted as a college student just a few years ago.

“I was away at college, and had my initial examinations and assessment there,” Ava says. "My parents brought me home and had already lined up the help I needed through the VRT.”

Forensic nursing and victim advocacy support are core tenets of the VRT. The first interaction a victim has with a nurse or doctor can impact how they deal with trauma afterwards. Ava said her team helped her understand what was happening to her and what she needed to do moving forward, such as take medication to prevent STDs.

“I was in a state of shock. They were so great in helping me understand.”

Today, Ava is a victim specialist for the commonwealth attorney. She sees expanding these services to other communities as vital. She'd like to see all hospitals have the resources to employ a victim-centered team trained in how to handle victims of sexual assault.

"There needs to be more awareness of how often this happens. Sexual assault happens every minute of every day all over the world. That kind of trauma is debilitating if you don’t have a good support system. I’m very grateful I had a very a positive experience with supportive nurses who understood trauma response."