Trudy Jacobson Presents: Donna A. Michaels, A Resilient Survivor on a Mission to Help Others

How much did you know about life when you were a teenager? Unless you’re a teenager now, you know the answer to that is next to nothing. 

And Donna freely admits she didn’t know much about life either as a 19-year-old female serving in the United States Navy. She believed serving in the military was a solid career choice and she was right. You can see the world, get valuable training and discipline, and build memories that will last a lifetime. 

However, it wasn’t long after enlisting she experienced a woman’s worst nightmare – rape. 

And as a 19-year-old, she never saw it coming – especially from someone within her chain of command.

“I was 19 and I was right out of boot camp, and I didn't recognize the warning signs. And unfortunately, because of that, the worst-case scenario actually happened. But again, I was a kid, and years of therapy had to teach me that it wasn't my fault and that I needed to forgive myself for how I handled it,” Donna said. 

Now as an adult, Donna looks back at the days and weeks leading up to the sexual assault. The red flags were there.

“Inappropriate flirting, inappropriate advances. He tried to come across as though he was just a senior enlisted person trying to look out for me because I was new. But there was just that part of me that was just like, ‘I don't know, this guy's kind of creepy’. But it didn't occur to me that being a minority would make me, for lack of a better term, fresh meat, a ‘new girl on campus’… that mentality,” she said. 

Donna’s naivete led her to believe he was just stubborn and didn’t know how to give up. Another issue was the difference in rank.

“I was an E3 [lower enlisted rank] and he was in E6 which is senior enlisted. They say you don't want to piss off somebody who's senior to you,” Donna said. “I wish I would have seen the warning signs sooner, and I think I would. If I had my guard up then I would have done a better job of either preventing it from happening or addressing it after it did.”

Unfortunately, it did happen. 

And at 19 years old, she didn’t know what to do. Instead, she buried the trauma so deep inside that she eventually thought of it as “a very bad dream.” 
Donna finished her time in the Navy and then went on to become a Sheriff’s officer in her home state of Florida. 

She became accustomed to responding to and dealing with traumatic incidents as a law enforcement officer – especially involving children. 

But after 17 years on the job, everything changed in one day. 

“June 1st, 2017, I can remember that date like it was yesterday. I went to a horrible call. But something about that one was the one too many traumas into my little black box that I compartmentalized everything in over all those years. My brain, the little black box said, ‘Nope, I'm full, no more. We're done.’ And it just exploded,” Donna said.

Everything came rushing back to her like floodgates of a dam opening – starting with the sexual assault that was repressed for so many years. 

“And every trauma I had ever experienced, from the military to years in law enforcement, everything just went loose in my brain,” she said. 

Donna found herself immersed in depression and was incapable of “being her old self.” In the weeks that followed, she began contemplating suicide. She reached a point where she developed specific plans on how she was going to end it all. 

But thanks to a combination of friends noticing unusual posts on social media and reaching out to her, treatment at a VA for the sexual trauma, and another friend who gifted her a German Shepherd puppy to care for, Donna dug herself out of everything. She is in a much better place but knows mental health treatment is an ongoing commitment.

After everything she has gone through, Donna decided to start a nonprofit organization, Heroes United to Heal (HU2H), to help veterans and first responders recover from the effects of post-traumatic stress. 

Please visit the nonprofit organization https://www.hu2h.org/ to learn more. To purchase signed copies of her best-selling book, Courageously Broken. Or purchase it on Amazon. 

Follow her on IG @d.a.michaels

NOTE: If you have been a victim of sexual assault/ harassment, please call (800)656-HOPE (800-656-4673) or visit rainn.org/resources for more information.

Who is Trudy Jacobson?
Trudy is an entrepreneur and leader. Her path to success and entrepreneurialism started in the trucking industry decades ago. She encountered numerous obstacles in the male-dominated industry- like discrimination. She was even defrauded out of a lot of money by an unscrupulous, opportunistic person. Despite all that, Trudy always fought hard and pushed forward. Once she realized she could do anything, she started her own company and excelled. Now she empowers other women to do the same and to learn from her experience. Trudy now highlights their stories for the world to see in the Great American Women Series. Trudy wants women everywhere to know they can achieve their goals.

References:
https://www.hu2h.org/
https://www.amazon.com/Courageously-Broken-overcoming-adversity-conquering-ebook/dp/B08GFWNJDV/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2D3K2EOS015Y6&keywords=courageously+broken&qid=1707515768&sprefix=courageously+broken%2Caps%2C374&sr=8-1
https://www.rainn.org/resources