[fusion_builder_container admin_label=”” hundred_percent=”yes” equal_height_columns=”no” menu_anchor=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” background_color=”#f3f3f3″ background_image=”” background_position=”center center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” fade=”no” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ video_mp4=”” video_webm=”” video_ogv=”” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_loop=”yes” video_mute=”yes” video_preview_image=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” padding_top=”” padding_right=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” type=”legacy”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ layout=”1_1″ spacing=”” center_content=”no” hover_type=”none” link=”” min_height=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_position=”left top” undefined=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” border_position=”all” padding_top=”” padding_right=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_offset=”” last=”true” border_sizes_top=”0″ border_sizes_bottom=”0″ border_sizes_left=”0″ border_sizes_right=”0″ first=”true”][fusion_title margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”0px” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” size=”4″ content_align=”left” style_type=”default” sep_color=””]

Dereka’s Story

[/fusion_title][fusion_separator style_type=”single solid” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” sep_color=”#9155a1″ top_margin=”20px” bottom_margin=”30px” border_size=”7″ icon=”” icon_circle=”” icon_circle_color=”” width=”30%” alignment=”left” /][fusion_text]Dereka Crosby has always been unique. She has a sense of humor that can crack the most stoic of people and a keen, innate understanding of folks who need a little extra humor from her. She is creative and entrepreneurial, which led her to owning her own business and starting her own foundation. She also happens to have an extra twenty first chromosome, commonly known as Down syndrome.

Dereka is also especially vulnerable. As a result, she has experienced unspeakable hardships throughout her life at the hands of the apathetic, the judicial, and the predatory. Despite relentless adversity, Dereka remains especially strong.

Dereka’s is a story told in three parts – one which we believe is especially worthy to be read.[/fusion_text][fusion_separator style_type=”none” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” sep_color=”” top_margin=”30px” bottom_margin=”” border_size=”” icon=”” icon_circle=”” icon_circle_color=”” width=”” alignment=”center” /][fusion_button link=”#story” title=”” target=”_self” link_attributes=”#story” alignment=”left” modal=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” color=”custom” button_gradient_top_color=”#191919″ button_gradient_bottom_color=”#191919″ button_gradient_top_color_hover=”#9155a1″ button_gradient_bottom_color_hover=”#9155a1″ accent_color=”#ffffff” accent_hover_color=”#ffffff” type=”flat” bevel_color=”” border_width=”” size=”xlarge” stretch=”no” icon=”fa-chevron-down” icon_position=”right” icon_divider=”no” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_offset=”” border_radius=”0″ border_color=”#ffffff” border_hover_color=”#ffffff”]READ DEREKA’S STORY[/fusion_button][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container admin_label=”” hundred_percent=”yes” equal_height_columns=”no” menu_anchor=”story” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” background_color=”#191919″ background_image=”” background_position=”center center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” fade=”no” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ video_mp4=”” video_webm=”” video_ogv=”” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_loop=”yes” video_mute=”yes” video_preview_image=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” padding_top=”” padding_right=”” padding_bottom=”20%” padding_left=”” type=”legacy”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ layout=”1_1″ spacing=”” center_content=”no” hover_type=”none” link=”” min_height=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_position=”left top” undefined=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” border_position=”all” padding_top=”” padding_right=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_offset=”” last=”true” border_sizes_top=”0″ border_sizes_bottom=”0″ border_sizes_left=”0″ border_sizes_right=”0″ first=”true”][fusion_text]PART 1: BEFORE BARBARA

Prior to finding home with Barbara, Dereka lived in New Hampshire with her birth giver, spending the bulk of her early years in and out of various foster homes. Her interactions and behaviors were indicative of abuse and neglect. Her development was very delayed, even for someone with Down syndrome.

At almost eight years of age, Dereka arrived home to her adoptive mother Barbara in Lincoln, Rhode Island. (Dereka likes to say that her and her mama adopted each other.) She had little to no spoken language, could not recognize colors, numbers or letters. She did not know how to eat with a fork or spoon. Most importantly, she did not know that she was in a safe home where she would always be loved. [/fusion_text][fusion_separator style_type=”single solid” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” sep_color=”#9155a1″ top_margin=”50px” bottom_margin=”65px” border_size=”7″ icon=”” icon_circle=”” icon_circle_color=”” width=”15%” alignment=”left” /][fusion_text]PART 2: BEFORE RAPE

Dereka worked hard in the coming years and made tremendous progress. She developed her vocabulary and learned the basics of caring for herself. Dereka came to understand that there would always be food, there would always be care, and that closets were for clothes and not punishment.

Despite this, Dereka carried many scars and soon was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder. Again, she worked hard – conquering her fears and flashbacks. Dereka and Barbara built their life together, full of friends and fun. They were a family. Things were going well and Dereka was flourishing.[/fusion_text][fusion_separator style_type=”single solid” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” sep_color=”#9155a1″ top_margin=”50px” bottom_margin=”65px” border_size=”7″ icon=”” icon_circle=”” icon_circle_color=”” width=”15%” alignment=”left” /][fusion_text columns=”” column_min_width=”” column_spacing=”” rule_style=”default” rule_size=”” rule_color=”” content_alignment_medium=”” content_alignment_small=”” content_alignment=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” sticky_display=”normal,sticky” class=”” id=”” margin_top=”” margin_right=”” margin_bottom=”” margin_left=”” font_size=”” fusion_font_family_text_font=”” fusion_font_variant_text_font=”” line_height=”” letter_spacing=”” text_color=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_offset=””]PART 3: BEFORE IT GETS BETTER

In the Fall of 2014, Dereka began to regress. It was hard to tell what was going on. Was it her seizure disorder? Did something trigger the events of her past? Her symptoms could be so many things. It took nine months of watching Dereka and countless evaluations before Barbara came to understand what was going on – Dereka was being sexually abused and ultimately was choked and raped by a female care giver in her own home, in her own bedroom.

Dereka was physically and emotionally devastated. All that had been gained was lost. Dereka’s health deteriorated and she ultimately gained eighty pounds, developed a new heart murmur and showed tremendous inflammation throughout her body. She lost her speech and could barely be understood. Dereka had frequent dissociative episodes, often dropping to the ground and blacking out. She would fall asleep in the car and not be arousable for hours. There were endless changes to the young lady that had worked so hard to build her life and overcome her past.

Barbara was also devastated; constantly asking herself, “How could this have happened?” Barbara is a nurse with 35 years of assessments skills, but even she missed the signs. Anyone could have. Anyone does.

Dereka is now in her seventh year of recovery. She continues to see her psychiatrist regularly, more frequently now than she did when she initially arrived home. She is in specialized counseling for victims of sexual assault. Dereka has the same bravery that she has shown in the past, but her life is very, very different. Recovery is slow and Barbara understands that life – and Dereka – will never return to the way they were.

Sadly, this is the reality for people with intellectual disabilities. Their rate of abuse exceeds any statistic that could be imagined. This is something that Dereka, Barbara, and the Foundation are committed to changing. If there is anything worthwhile to come out of Dereka’s tragedy, it should be that the statistics change. This is what moves Dereka – and Barbara – forward. [/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container admin_label=”” hundred_percent=”yes” equal_height_columns=”no” menu_anchor=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” background_color=”#191919″ background_image=”” background_position=”left top” background_repeat=”no-repeat” fade=”no” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ video_mp4=”” video_webm=”” video_ogv=”” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_loop=”yes” video_mute=”yes” video_preview_image=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” padding_top=”0px” padding_right=”0px” padding_bottom=”0px” padding_left=”0px” admin_toggled=”no” type=”legacy”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ layout=”1_1″ spacing=”” center_content=”no” hover_type=”none” link=”” min_height=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_position=”left top” undefined=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” border_position=”all” padding_top=”” padding_right=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_offset=”” last=”true” border_sizes_top=”0″ border_sizes_bottom=”0″ border_sizes_left=”0″ border_sizes_right=”0″ first=”true”][fusion_separator style_type=”single solid” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” sep_color=”#ffffff” top_margin=”” bottom_margin=”80px” border_size=”7″ icon=”” icon_circle=”” icon_circle_color=”” width=”100%” alignment=”center” /][fusion_title margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” size=”3″ content_align=”center” style_type=”default” sep_color=””]

#especiallystrong

[/fusion_title][fusion_button link=”https://squareup.com/store/dereka-crosby-foundation” title=”” target=”_blank” link_attributes=”” alignment=”center” modal=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” color=”custom” button_gradient_top_color=”” button_gradient_bottom_color=”” button_gradient_top_color_hover=”” button_gradient_bottom_color_hover=”” accent_color=”” accent_hover_color=”” type=”” bevel_color=”” border_width=”3″ size=”medium” stretch=”default” icon=”” icon_position=”left” icon_divider=”no” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_offset=”” border_radius=””]DONATE[/fusion_button][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]