I used to work in the surgical recovery unit at a major hospital in my community. While there, I was trained about the importance of patient consent. Hospitals can be scary places. Patients are surrounded by strangers and the outcomes of surgery are never guaranteed. I was taught that talking a patient through what is happening is an important part of compassionate care.

My patient rights were violated by nurse Jessica Fetzer working at the Essentia Health Emergency Room in Fargo, North Dakota. This violation occurred in 2013 and the repercussions of her maltreatment continue to reverberate throughout my life. One consequence is how badly Fetzer damaged my ability to place trust in any medical professional. The trauma she inflicted upon me continues to impact my ability to seek continuing care for multiple health conditions related to my being disabled.

When I was a young woman still living with my parents, my mother would tell me that the most important decision of my life would be the decision of who I might one day marry. There are many choices to make in life and who we choose to make part of our innermost circle is a significant one. Now it is more than twenty years later I see even more clearly how right she was.

Five years ago I was homeless.

Four years ago I was struggling everyday with thoughts of suicide and self-harm.

When we fail to hear the testimony of surviviors who have been embroiled in gender-based violence we cast them into the wilderness, putting them at the mercy of wolves.