May 13, 2013

Michelle Knight Cleveland Kidnap victims re-hospitalized

Amidst the joy of the rescues of the three young abducted women now comes the sobering reality of the extent of the damage inflicted upon them. Michelle Knight has been re-hospitalized as her two co-captives are home beginning their long healing process from years of sexual physical and emotional abuse at the hands of Arial Castro, her "alleged" kidnapper rapist assailant.

Michelle apparently was struck many times in the head throughout her long captivity, and as is often the case the damage from repeated TBI's takes a vicious toll on the survivor.

She has lost hearing in at least one ear and likely has balance issues and or vertigo as well for this area of the brain-stem and specific cranial nerves are all intricately attached to our inner ears and cochlear functions.

Being a survivor of a kidnapping assault having suffered a blitz style attack with severe head blows against walls floor and the hard edges of my attackers hands, I too received repeat TBI and  cochlear damage. The latter controls many functions of everyday life such as moving ones head and losing balance, visual disturbances as the ears and eyes work normally work in a perfect synchronicity .

Grocery stores where movement surround us become places to avoid as they bring a barrage of symptoms as do videos or movies with too much rapid movement that affects the eyes movement and a nauseating condition called nystagumus results.

My personal knowledge regarding the delicate inner workings of the brain, inner ear apparatus, as it relate to head injury and blows to the head face and temple regions was first known by my assailant a seasoned veteran of beating women, he knew how to damage a woman's brain, where to strike to render her helpless, and indeed how to leave permanent damage. I was told as I was struck :

" I am going to f --k  you up for life!!" and added "you will NEVER forget ME."  

It breaks my heart to know that any woman experienced even one bout of blows to her head and face as I did, but to learn that this young girl was repeatedly beaten over a period of years in this deliberately cruel and sustained fashion is devastating and infuriating.

Miss Knight seems to have have suffered the most abuse at the hands of he captor (or captors, as it has yet to be determined if the brothers are involved..) Perhaps she refused to submit as much as the other two kidnao victims did. All of them were sufferring from a type of stockholm syndrome where they are too afraid to run and or become emotionally emeshed via a life and death dependency.

Michelle was reportedly impregnated by her kidnapper a multitude of times and he pre meditatively caused miscarriage by kicking her beating her and starvation. He doctors are reporting that she will require re constructive surgery to her face due to the repeated blows and beatings. The face head and neck are the most common areas to be struck by predators of all varieties..

Needless to say Michellle's emotional wounds are as deep or deeper than her physical ones which are substantial. Her experience can be compared to that of a prisoner of war who experienced the most horrific torture. Now she is " home" and yet home is as alien to Michelle as one could possibly imagine.

Let us pray for this courageous survivor each and every day for she will need all of our collective prayers support letters and love. Never underestimate the power of prayer and acts of kindness such as sending a card or a gift and letting her know we are all thinking of her.

I will be praying for her doctors and therapists as well to give them the strength and wisdom to lead Michelle to comfort and healing.


ichelle Knight one of Cleveland Kidnap Victims re-hospitalized