Tenacidad: The Story

One woman's journey of rape, the child conceived and healing with PTSD from sexual assault...

Filmmaker, Nicholle La Vann

Welcome to the Tenacidad blog. I have been a filmmaker for over twenty years and have covered many voices that were unheard giving them a platform to be heard. The voice I kept silent was my own, I would drown inside my head wanting to be heard, if I screamed would anybody hear me? Nobody heard me when I was attacked why would they listen now is a repeated question I asked myself before coming to the final decision to share my story. I went through school fighting my own demons of going to mental health counseling which was worst then not going at all. I recall going to counseling in Buffalo feeling empty inside like why did I just share my soul with a complete stranger who couldn't careless about my feelings or what I went through at fifteen years old. Many mental health professionals acted like they weren't judging but in the end their words and characteristic behavior gave it away. I believe many of my ventures in organized religion were attempts to rid the memories that haunted me from time to time. As I share a bit of my soul on a visual platform it is my hope that my story educates individuals to be conscious of their surroundings. Hoping to encourage people to take special attention when your senses tell you that someone is unsafe. Finally, I want to inspire other survivors who may have experienced sexual trauma in their lives ways they can heal and prevent suicide of victims. For many years I blamed myself and now I stand strong not blaming myself but conquering the fear that held me back from blossoming into the woman I am today.

Inspiration

"You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them." Maya Angelou