Meet Resilient and Brave Domestic Violence Survivor and International Speaker - Simone O'Brien

Life's a Mitch Podcast

On this episode I have the incredible opportunity to speak to an extremely brave Australian woman Simone O'Brien. WARNING this episode contains references to domestic violence which could be triggering for some listeners if you or someone you know is suffering, please find resources to help down below In 2012 she suffered a horrific domestic violence attack at the hands of a perpetrator who would not take “no” for an answer. It started with emotional and psychological abuse, including telling lies, stealing money and insults. And it ended with her being beaten with a baseball bat to within inches of her life. She lost eyesight on her right side and her sense of smell. Her skull is currently held together with screws and titanium plates. The ripple effect of this on her children has been unimaginable. I became aware of Simone's story at a workplace comms day where she presented her story and had an audience of hundreds of people speechless and in awe of her presence ... 53 Surgeries , Court Cases , Medical Treatment every week for the rest of her life are bit some of the hardships she has had to face from experiencing a truly traumatic experience. Yet despite this she offers help freely on a mission to break the stigma of DV , raising awareness , helping identify red flags and educating individuals on ways to help break and end the pandemic of DV. It was an honor to host such a selfless kind person and have a very important conversation . 1 in 4 women suffer from DV in Australia and 1 in 14 men suffer . Also we lose a womans life on average every 4 days due to DV which is a truly alarming statistic. I encourage you all to listen to this conversation as its a current relevant topic in the world at present and help end the horror of DV. This conversation for me was very insightful , informative and rewarding to have i hope you get something from it .... And please remember IT'S OK TO ASK FOR HELP YOU'RE NOT ALONE! If you or a loved one is experiencing DV please find support at these links below. www.whiteribbon.org.au www.lifeline.com.au https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clare%27s_Law Also If you wish to get in touch and work with Simone find her website here : https://www.simoneobrien.com.au/my-story/