Fresno woman shares experience of witnessing domestic violence

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- During October's Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a young Fresno woman is sharing her experience living in a household where abuse was part of her everyday life.

According to 19-year-old Isis Edwards, chaos is all she knew growing up. Both her parents were using drugs, and her dad was constantly abusing her mom Tanya Villines - mentally and physically.

"Extreme physical abuse -- I've seen him break her nose multiple times," recalled Edwards. "I've seen him break her arm, her foot. So very, very bad."

The abuse toward her mom got so bad that Isis was removed by Child Protective Services at 12 years old, and put into foster care.

A few months after that, Tanya left her boyfriend after he put his hands on Isis' sister. They walked in the middle of the night to Marjaree Mason Center.

Isis was then able to reunite with her family, and in that moment, she felt a new chapter began for them.

"We didn't have anything -- no car, barely any clothes, but we had each other," Edwards said. "I got to see my mom smile, her true smile, and I got to see her grow into I think the person that she was always meant to be."

Villines is eight years sober. She's also in a happy, healthy relationship with her fiancé, and they added a beautiful little girl to their family.

Edwards is also the happiest she's ever been, but she said it took years for her mental health to improve.

She never thought a normal life was possible.

"But leaving, I got to see that life is so much more beautiful than what was just in my household," Edwards said.

The mother and daughter encourage anyone experiencing domestic violence to reach out for help, which includes the Marjaree Mason Center.

Kaiser Permanente is also a community resource. The healthcare system is taking action to prevent domestic violence with its Family Violence Prevention Program, which requires physicians and staff to ask patients about their home life, if they feel safe or if someone is hurting them.

"We may be the first people to come across this, and the patients don't know where to go, or they might not even realize it's a problem," explained Dr. Angela Kuo, physician lead for the program.

By identifying potential domestic violence victims, Kaiser can then provide them with resources to help change their situation.

To this day, Edwards and Villines are thankful for the help they received, because, for a long time, they felt alone.

"There's always a way out," said Edwards. "There's people that can help."

If you or anyone you know is a victim of domestic violence, help is available 24-7.

In Fresno County, you can contact the Marjaree Mason Center at (559) 233-4357. You can also contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.