Read our feature story about Terry here.
WOOSTER, Ohio — Terry McDaniel and his sister, Vicki, had it pretty rough growing up.
The things done to them by their parents were abusive and at times even criminal.
“You could do handstands and they’d still hate you because you interrupted their lives,” Terry said. “If abortion was legal they probably would have aborted us back then.”
Terry’s advice to other kids who are being abused is to talk to a relative or a friend. He hates to see families broken up, he said, but if things aren’t safe, something needs done.
“There’s still a lot of children being abused that we don’t know about — we don’t hear about,” he said. “It’s still sort of a quiet thing that no one talks about.”
His sister says to seek help from a family member, a church friend or anyone you trust.
“Find somebody you trust when you’re a child and tell them what mommy and daddy are doing to you,” she said. “Know that some day you’ll be out of that situation and you can have a life of your own. They can’t control you the rest of your life.”
Confrontation
Terry also advises people to confront their parents at some point in their lifetime. But be prepared if they don’t change.
“Just say ‘I forgive you’ and walk on,” Terry said. “Be polite. Don’t get into a ‘you did this, you did that’ throw-down.”
He said that most of the time an abuser will not be receptive to the confrontation, “unless they’ve had a change of heart.”
Terry has dealt with his own abuse through a book he wrote called Through Our Eyes, printed by WestBow Press, a division of Thomas-Nelson.
The book tells Terry’s story through fiction, using the character of Frank Roberts. It can be read between two and two-and-a-half hours.
Where to buy.
Through Our Eyes is available at Lehman’s Hardware, Christian Homestead Bookstore in Shreve, Dayspring Christian Bookstore in New Philadelphia and The Bookery Parable Christian Store in Mansfield.
It’s available online at Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble.com, Nook, Kindle, Apple I-pad and for Sony readers.
