SAN ANTONIO — A local woman abused by her husband after moving from Mexico the U.S found help and hope with a local support organization.
She says she went from shelter to shelter with her newborn and finally found safety and peace from the abuse at Magdalena House, where she turned her life around.
"I used to have a lot of panic attacks, anxiety attacks, the constant fear," said the woman who did not want to be identified by her real name. She asked to be referred to as Fahv.
Despite working as a computer engineer back home, she struggled with a language barrier, and no job. her husband was her sole income in the U.S. But the man she'd known for years, was now isolating her and threatening to take her daughter away .
She says the mask came off, then the gloves. Emotional abuse turned physical. Then one day, she walked out the door with police and her newborn in her arms, never looking back.
She said she quickly learned that domestic abuse has no boundaries.
"Very shocking. I used to think it's only for a specific type of people or a special specific social level. [It's] all status, all ages, all violence is everywhere, unfortunately," Fahv said. "Suddenly everything changes, he takes off that mask of controlling and violence."
For years, she lived in this secret neighborhood where a small blue home, ironically, is where her blue days finally started to get brighter.
Magdalena House is where she finally broke through the chains and she was able to focus on her mental health. In the five-acre community ,she and her just months-old baby found a safe haven. Her daughter, for four years, grew up alongside other children also escaping violent homes. The 12 families in this tight knit community share seven homes with private rooms.
Simple things like a playground, gives the children a sense of normalcy.
"They build community, they learn, coping skills and how what a healthy relationship would look like," said Tiffany Fleming, Director of Developement for Magdalena House.
Fleming says the nonprofit provides the families with transportation, schooling, tuition, medical and legal help while their kids go to public schools. Magdalena House has helped hundreds of moms and children since 2007.
"90% of moms think that their children don't know what's going on in the home, but when the counselors ask the kids, 90% of the children know exactly what's going on in a domestic violence situation," Fleming said.
Fahv started attending college, one of the requirements to live on the property, with all expenses paid.
Her certificate in the U.S. unlocked new doors. Now, she a job in the IT field that allows her to pursue computer engineering again as she once did in Mexico. She stayed at Magdalena House for four years before getting her own apartment three years ago.
If you'd like to help Magdalena House, they're hosting a Gala at La Cantera Resort this Saturday, September 28th. You can buy an individual seat or sponsor an entire table.