CLEVELAND, April 15, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- Some people have been dealt numerous blows throughout their lives, but pull through with a bright outlook and a strong will. Kathleen Cassidy is one of those people. She endured incest, sexual abuse, abuse by authority figures and drug addiction, only to emerge a strong person. In a new book, Bless Me Father (now available through AuthorHouse), author Tassy Dawton writes about Kathleen's experiences.
As the youngest of 10 children, Kathleen's first experience with abuse was caused by her older brothers. After incest at the hands of her siblings and the neglect she suffered from her parents, she was physically accosted by her Catholic grade school teacher. As a way to save the church from scandal, Kathleen was accused of drug addiction and sent to rehabilitation centers.
After escaping onto the rough streets of Cleveland, Kathleen found herself involved in child pornography at age 14. She befriended a 33-year-old man who rescued her from the sex industry, only to have an affair with her and disclose to her that he was a contract killer. To survive, Kathleen succumbed to prostitution and at age 16, she was placed in a facility. There, a child psychologist started an illicit affair with her.
She was released at age 17. Her former psychologist contacted her again, and under the pretense of helping her, worked to make her his mistress and get her started on toxic psychotropic drugs. In another struggle for survival, Kathleen fought the addiction to prescription drugs and finally overcame the tragedies of her youth.
Dawton sees Bless Me Father as a truly inspirational story that persuades readers to understand that people can triumph over the impossible. This unbelievable true story is a testament to the human spirit. She decided that the abuse would not define who she is, and today she is thriving and happy, despite her arduous past.
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