Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN) - 1296

Tonight's special guest is Y.G. Nyghtstorm from Atlanta, Georgia, who was raped at 11 years old by a Catholic camp leader and minister. Y.G. says "This ‘wicked man’ put a curse on my life resulting in confused sexual identity, depression, PTSD and a string of traumatic events in my life." He explains, "After telling my camp troop leader about growing up in a broken home we grew close and I saw him as a father figure. He was a very religious Catholic minister that I trusted and on the last day of camp he invited me into a cabin offering me a special parting gift .. and then he raped me while quoting bible scriptures." In adulthood, Y.G. experienced many consequences of his trauma: homeless at 18 years old, a suicide attempt, two tragic and failed marriages and the loss of his children that included the premature death of his oldest son. “I was thinking there's something wrong because I'm always losing everything,” he says. In 2008 he decided to take back control of his life .. and stop being a victim. It took some doing, but eventually Y.G. was able to see things in a different light. “I realized that the moment I could forgive this man and let this go was the moment that I was going to be truly free,” he said. From that point on he's worked on forgiveness. “Holding on to pain does nothing but kill you from within and destroy your life," he says. "Seek help for your sorrow and know that God will put people in your life to make you whole. I am no longer cursed by the ‘wicked man.’ I stepped out of the darkness of despair through forgiveness, and pray that you do the same.” Today he and his wife run the Victor Sims Foundation, helping families heal from traumatic issues.