get her out of his mind. And while Melissa faced two years of rehabilitation and would need 10 surgeries, nothing deterred �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� they’ve been inseparable. Melissa believes that God saved her that night so she could speak out for women who suffer in silence, and for those who have been forever silenced because their abuser succeeded in taking their life. She now works as a Domestic Violence Prevention Advocate for Julie Weintraub’s Hands Across the Bay in Clearwater (www.handsacrossthebay.org). Melissa said, “I share my story to educate teens about the ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� where to go for help. When I was in high school, no one spoke to me about dating violence. I believe if I had seen a presentation like the one we provide though Hands Across the Bay (HATB), I would have never gone through what I did. I would never want to �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� I wouldn’t change it. I know I lived to share my story. At HATB, we also help survivors rebuild their lives after leaving abuse, and stabilize families who are in crisis through no fault of their own.” Julie Weintraub, co-owner of Gold & Diamond Source in Clearwater, founded Hands Across the Bay in 2010. Its mission is to assist and mentor families in need, supporting other organizations, and advocating for change. It was Julie who invited Melissa to the Tampa Bay Ray’s game to throw the �������������������������������������������������� recognition of her work as an advocate. It was May 11, 2015. It seems Cameron asked for Julie’s help and told her he wanted to plan a very special marriage proposal that night. Julie and Cameron joined forces and came up with the plan together. That night, Melissa walked out to the pitchers mound and began waving and smiling as she waited for the ball to be brought out to her to throw to the catcher. Then she noticed social SCENE
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