Prudence Bradley, 19, found it difficult to put into words what she experienced during her days as a social justice warrior. She didn’t have to. The way the slightly overweight feminist apologetically paused, fought back tears, and forced out a simple, “Stuff happened there,” told the story of the pain she’s been carrying since she first started fighting for gender equality almost two years ago.
Bradley’s troubles reached an apex the day she organized an anti-Donald Trump rally in Lubbock, Texas. Prudence and a group of fellow UW-M students made the long trek from Madison, WI, to protest Trump’s treatment of women in the Lone Star State.
Almost an hour into their protest, a man wearing a Make America Great Again hat and confederate flag suspenders approached her and screamed “feminazi f*ck pig” right to her face. For Mrs. Bradley, it was like being shot point blank in the face with a high-capacity assault weapon.
“I was in a state of total shock,” said Bradley, “I couldn’t feel my legs and thought I may have been paralyzed.” After being treated at a local medical facility for minor emotional distress, Prudence caught the first flight back home to seek a second opinion.
“Prudence was showing all the classic symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD,” said Dr. Liam Williams, Bradley’s family doctor in Madison. “Re-experiencing the trauma through intrusive and distressing recollections of the event, flashbacks, and nightmares are just some of Mrs. Bradley’s symptoms,” warned the doctor. “Prudence was also showing extreme emotional numbness that puts her in a very dangerous category of PTSD. It’s very important she start a treatment program immediately.”
The Bradley family researched treatment facilities across the country, hoping to find a program that would give their daughter the best overall chance at a full recovery. After almost a month of searching, the family were losing hope until an email from a wounded slacktivist suggested they call the Wounded Social Justice Warrior Project® in Portland, Oregon.
The program provides personalized care, services, and advocacy to seriously wounded social justice warriors—including those who have suffered post traumatic stress disorder and other medical health conditions.
Besides adaptive and rehabilitative programs and caregiver support, the WSJWP also provides mentorship to recovering activists, an employment and career readiness program, and financial assistance for those who have suffered or aggravated an injury or illness and need help with daily living activities so they can avoid being hospitalized or put in an outpatient care facility.
For Prudence, the WSJWP has been a blessing. After a difficult and challenging three months in the program, Mrs. Bradley is starting to feel whole again, and is even looking forward to rejoining her fellow moonbats in time to protest the Republican National Convention next month in Jacksonville.
“I’ll be back,” said Mrs. Bradley with a new found sense of confidence. “I refuse to let these misogynists have the last laugh. This time I’ll be ready for them.” Prudence praises the WSJWP for giving her a second chance, not only at life, but a new sense of purpose to fight for social and economic justice. “This is my passion and I will never give up, ever.”
About the Wounded Social Justice Warrior Project®
The mission of the Wounded Social Justice Warrior Project® is to honor and empower our wounded heroes. Its purpose is to raise awareness of injured social activists, to help find them aid, and to provide unique, direct programs and services to help them continue with their activism. WSJWP is a national, nonpartisan organization headquartered in Portland, Oregon.