Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN) - 1933

Tonight's special guest is Malaysia Halley from Columbia, South Carolina, a transformational speaker, child abuse advocate, and survivor of sexual, emotional, and physical abuse. At only 2 years old, Malaysia and her 5 siblings were abandoned and left starving by their mother. She then suffered 8 years severe abuse by a cousin, who adopted them, and her boyfriend. Malaysia never gave up seeking help and disclosed the abuse over 19 times, including to school staff and neighbors who ignored her. Finally, someone stepped in to stop the abuse. The trauma continued to negatively impact her over the next 10 years, affecting school performance, sleep and relationships. Like so many abused children, she felt suicidal, depressed, angry, and began to bully others. Now, after her healing process, Malaysia advocates about the importance of educating students on childhood sexual abuse (CSA), teaching them what's right and wrong when it comes to abusive behavior. She has worked as a counsellor, a guardian ad litem, a sexual trauma services worker, and as an executive director for the Save Our Kids program. This past spring she organized a city-wide event called the Healing and Empowerment Day of Columbia to support survivor healing and gain awareness through local media. The founder and CEO of the non-profit Heal with Me, she offers schools, communities, colleges, organizations, and individuals a resource for CSA education, focusing on “how to see it, stop it, and heal from it.” Malaysia also travels sharing her story. She uses humor in motivational speeches, advocating the reporting of abuse, receiving support services, and self-healing.