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Strong and powerful words from obstetrician and White Ribbon advocate Dr Angela Jay as she recounts her story of an horrific attack in Port Macquarie.
Dr Jay was working in Port Macquarie when she suffered serious knife wounds at the hands of a former partner on November 3, 2016.
At the 2018 Luminosity Youth Summit she shared how she overcame intense fear and coped with the trauma of surviving a truly horrifying and violent ordeal.
I knew in that moment if I was going to survive I had to run.
- Dr Angela Jay
“Domestic violence touches us all, either ourselves, family or friends or colleagues,” Dr Jay said.
“One in four will experience violence at the hands of an intimate partner and the most dangerous place for a women is in the house – for a man it is at the pub.
“I tell my story not because it is unique, but because it is not.”
Dr Jay said her violent relationship started the same as any loving relationship, before it turned bad.
“I had just moved to Port Macquarie for work and I was isolated from friends and family and all alone,” she said.
“So I decided to get out and meet people and I signed up to Tinder.
“When I first met him he was charming, loving and he made me feel special.
“I was so happy and in love that I missed all the warning signs – I found it odd that he worked out my phone password but he said he was just looking out for me.”
She said over time, things turned and she was so worried about her safety she was living with friends close by.
“After I broke it off with him he kept wanting more and told me he would kill himself if I didn’t come and meet him.
“It was a very scary time and I was constantly worried about my safety.
“I felt trapped and embarrassed about the situation and felt like I couldn’t tell my friends. When things got really bad I asked for help from the police and I am so grateful for all their help.
“On the day of my attack I needed to pop back to my house for some clean washing as I had been living with my friend and I thought it would be safe to go home during the day.”
- Continued page 2