3 | durhamregion.com | This Week | Thursday, June 23, 2022 | What happensWhen your brain doesn't get enough sound? Your ears collect sound, but it's your brain that actually understands it. With hearing loss, there isn't enough sound information coming to your brain from your ears, or the quality of that information is too low. This makes it much harder for the brain to orient itself in your surroundings, and focus on what's important. That's why good hearing helps your brain stay fit throughout your life. Call today to book your no charge hearing assessment to learn about your hearing ability. *receive an in-office demo of oticon's BrainhearingtM technology. *Clinician to determine candidacy. We offer oticon's BrainhearingtM technology, which helps you to: Orient better in the full sound scene Focus more clearly on what you choose Improve your understanding of speech Reduce the effort it takes you to listen Improve your memory 1031 simcoe street north, oshawa, on. L1g 4W3 Funding Ministry of Health Assistive Devices Program, GM Green Shield, VAC,WSIB, ODSP, and MCSS funding available. receive up to $2500 off a pair of oticon's BrainhearingtM technology for a limited time. Call clinic today for details. 905-240-5055 www.deeganhearingclinic.com Proudly Family owned, local mattersPROUDLY FAMILY OWNED.LOCAL MATTERS Durham Region is a hub for human trafficking in girls as young as 13 who end up in the sex trade after being groomed. A fundraising event for Victim Services Durham Region highlighted the horrific nature of the human trafficking, with survivor Karly Church recounting her story. About 30 people attended the event, where Church noted, "I want to tell you the story of a young girl who was forced into the sex trade. She was an average girl who grew up in a small community in a seemingly normal family with both of her parents. The girl struggled with the vulnerabilities that many young girls while growing up struggle with." At one point, she had found herself in a life she had never imagined, Church said. "She met two men who seemed to want to take care of her. They talked to her, they asked about her life and about her family, her friends, her struggles and even her hopes and dreams for the future," Church said. "She told them everything. She had felt that this is something she had been waiting for all her life, for someone to stop and notice she was struggling and asked her about it. Someone who finally stopped to take time out of their lives to ask about her," she added. "They provided her with a place to live, they took her shopping, they bought her clothes. They got her hair done, they showered her with compliments. They boasted her self-esteem and boasted her selfworth," she said. "She felt like someone was finally going to be there for her. She felt that this was the best her life had ever been," Church stated. The girl only realized something was amiss when the free items and drugs stopped coming. "Eventually, she felt she had to do exactly what they asked her to do. She felt she owed them her life. They picked her up in a time of her life when everyone else had given up on her," she said. "When they asked her to work in the sex trade, she said yes. She didn't know the true definition of consent. She thought it was her fault and later identified that she lived with a lot of shame and self-blame, thinking it was her fault," she said. "She had sex on a daily basis. Half the time, she didn't know was coming to her hotel room door or what services she was expected to provide. She described it as the most horrific moment in her life," she noted. "Eventually, police came in contact with her. When the police met her in that hotel room, they offered her supports. They had the number and access to the services. Police connected her to Victim Services Durham Region and Victim Services Durham Region helped her get into a drug-treatment program and helped her get sent to a therapist. They got her a cellphone so she could reconnect with her supports and family," Church added. "They helped her get a job after her treatment and even helped her get housing." "This is just one of the many stories Victim Services has. Victim Services helps across 9,000 victims a year." "Oh, and that little story I just told you about that little girl that Victim Services helped. That girl is me," she said. "Now I work at Victim Services Durham Region and I help other girls is the same situation that I was in. So together with your support, we can prevent the struggle from happening to your girls, to our girls," Church said. Krista MacNeil, the executive director of VSDR, said the average age of a girl being lured into the sex trade is 13. "We are going into schools and we're presenting and educating on the risk factors. And, it's woring," MacNeil said. For more information of Victim Services Durham Region, visit www.victimservicesdurham.ca. SURVIVOR RECOUNTS HUMAN TRAFFICKING PAST KEITH GILLIGAN kgilligan@ durhamregion.com NEWS Karly Church, a survivor of human trafficking, spoke of her experiences during a fundraising event for Victim Services Durham Region. Church noted she was looking for acceptance when she was lured into the sex trade. Keith Gilligan/Metroland