JAMESTOWN, N.Y. — On Friday, groups marched in Jamestown for the 25th annual walk against domestic violence.
Many of these people have survived some form of domestic violence.
Krystle Pullan is one of them, tearing up while sharing her story.
"It all started when I was a kid. My dad was alcoholic and my mom worked crazy hours just to provide," Pullan says. "I didn't have an education, nobody noticed what was going on in the home, it was all kept hush hush."
Krystle tells 7 News reporter Yoselin Person her trauma didn't stop there.
"When I got older I thought I was going to stop that and I fell in love with someone who turned out to have anger issues," she says. "He'd put his hands on me and it took having a child to realize what I was doing was repeating history."
But she was saved.
"I viewed it as my daughter saved me, and I woke up one day, and I was done," Pullan says.
A program manager of Jamestown Police Domestic Violence Unit, Caylee Shelters is also a survivor.
"I was in an abusive relationship throughout college for about three years. It was mostly verbal abuse, but there were also instances of physical abuse," Shelters says. "And I remember waking up one day and told myself this day forward I'm going to do everything I can to make sure no one has to experience this."
And now, she is part of the Jamestown Police Domestic Violence Investigation Unit.
Shelters shares that her job has become more challenging because of bail reform.
She even says her department receives almost 200 domestic violence reports every month.
"It's hard for me to have to call these victim's sometimes when these abusers get released from jail and say I'm sorry did everything I could but they're back on the streets," she explains. "Call us if you need us and it feels kinda helpless working into this field not being able to give them the justice that they deserve."
Krystle Pullan wants to ensure these difficult stories are being shared to help save lives.
"You're good enough. Your story counts; don't let anyone else tell you differently," Pullan says.
