Rockbridge lady asks why home abuse haunts well being employees

LEXINGTON, Va. (WDBJ) – “I’m the Jacky,” Jaclyn Hostetter lastly mentioned, laughing, when requested about her title.

A well being care employee and supervisor, she had one thing vital on her thoughts once we met in December. Of 4 murders in Rockbridge County up to now 4 years, all had been the results of home violence, and all of the victims had been well being care employees.

“What made these girls, who I knew and have labored with, weak to be in relationships with males that may so far as to kill them as a result of they mentioned that they beloved them,” Hostetter requested.

“It actually does make you assume: Is there one thing larger happening right here that we don’t learn about in well being care,” mentioned Heather Wooden.

Hostetter reached out to Wooden, the Sufferer Witness Coordinator for Rockbridge.

“You surprise if it’s a socioeconomic downside or challenge,” Wooden mentioned, “or if it’s, as Jacky actually felt strongly and believed, that it was a difficulty with coaching.”

“It makes you query issues,” Hostetter mentioned, “and it makes you surprise what’s making us so weak to home violence.”

“We give the assistance,” mentioned well being care employee Amber Camden, “however the place’s our assist, you recognize?”

House well being care and eldercare employees like Camden know there’s an issue.

“Well being care employees have the dearth of assist, counseling sensible, on who they’ll come to once they really feel like they’re being bodily or mentally drained,” Camden defined.

“As a well being care employee, like, I do know that you simply wish to assist folks,” mentioned Maria Creasey. “And also you assume, oh I might help this individual get higher, however you’ll be able to’t. You simply don’t have something left.”

“I consider it wants, at this level actually, to be a group dialog that we’re having that everybody is having, and everybody is worried about,” Wooden mentioned.

As was clear within the interview, Hostetter’s personal well being has made this an pressing trigger. Final 12 months, she acquired a analysis of terminal most cancers.

“And we make the worst sufferers ever,” Hostetter mentioned, laughing at herself. “Completely the worst sufferers ever.”

Jacky died on January 28, unable to see her plan to completion.

However others have vowed to hold on.

“That is what our group wants, and I wish to assist,” Camden mentioned. “So I really jumped on to messaging Heather, and like: hey, what can we do? Am I in a position to assist? I’m all in on it.”

“And the possibly someday there received’t be an issue anymore as a result of we’ve taught folks the best way to deal with it,” Hostetter mentioned in that final interview. “That’s a legacy. That’s what I wish to depart for my group.”

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