2025: Mary

La Fin

Healing from family violence takes a long time. Although healing might begin once one escapes family violence, the escape often unmasks (yet another) hidden struggle … that of the impact on a woman’s health (not the least if there have been years of Family Court involvement layered on top of family violence). Here years of calculated performances from both a perpetrator and their systems see women for years upon years, to use an Australian slang term, ‘flat out like a lizard’. The consequences are women are left with mounting financial struggles; delays in healthcare screening or in commencing healthcare treatment; interruptions to continuous healthcare; changes in behaviours throughout treatments; isolation from support; and of course, more trauma. For over 15 years “Mary’s” perpetrator instigated and maintained numerous family court proceedings. In 2020 “Mary” battled and beat cervical cancer. Since late 2023 “Mary” has battled breast cancer. It is her hope that “la fin” (“the end” in French) might not catch up before her healing is done.

Photo: Lizard Skeleton