One Person Can Make a Difference

When Kelly Brexler, a nurse at Doylestown Health, approached her employer about the critical need for child abuse prevention education, it wasn ’t just to help her community. It was personal.

Kelly’s son was a sophomore in high school when he disclosed to her that he had been the target of predation from a teacher. Kelly needed help. She needed resources for her son, her family, her community. She remembered the Beau Biden Foundation Stewards of Children® training she received at work several years ago and contacted the Beau Biden Foundation for help. Chief Executive Officer Patricia Dailey Lewis, Esq., and Program Director Claudine Wiant, JD, let her son tell his story. He was finally heard.

He was groomed. He wasn’t the first. Other students came forward. Other parents told Kelly that they knew her son would be this predator’s next victim. Other teachers suspected this teacher of predation but didn’t know they could report on a suspicion.

Her son was determined to be the last victim of this predator - of any predator. He insisted on speaking at school board meetings, to lawmakers, and anyone who needed to hear his story. Kelly’s son, like Kelly, is a fighter.

Knowing that other children and families needed help, and other predators were in her community, Kelly approached her employer to add child protection to their community education curriculum. Doylestown Health, a leader in community health, realized that preventing child abuse and neglect was a community issue requiring education and action. They contacted the Beau Biden Foundation and arranged for live and virtual child protection education sessions for their staff and the community.

What pleases Kelly the most is that other community organizations are getting involved. A school district, a community recreation center and even a local college are scheduling child protection training after attending one of the workshops at Doylestown Health.

Having the Beau Biden Foundation as an outlet to hear them and connect them to the resources to move forward was important. “Education is empowerment,” she said. Her other advice, “be prepared for a long recovery.” Predators tell their victims they’ll be blamed so they don’t tell anyone. “Keep the lines of communication open with your kids.”