A local ER Nurse went on an Elijah Rising Van Tour and learned about sex trafficking and the red flags. While on the tour she realized any one of her patients could be in a trafficking situation.
On every Elijah Rising Van Tour, we share statistics like this: A Polaris survey of survivors found that 69 percent of respondents reported having had access to medical care at some point during their exploitation. 85 percent of this group said they were treated for an illness or injury related to their exploitation.
The nurse saw the red heels, her clothing was covering up bruises and scratches, she had no home address, and her story was changing. After pulling her colleagues aside, the nurse explained how this woman might be in a sex trafficking situation. They devised a plan to keep her from making a phone call for her safety. After they connected with a Mandarin translator, the woman shared that she had been walking for two days.
The woman did not feel safe sharing more information, so then the nurse reached out to Elijah Rising. When we got the phone call late at night, we connected them with Rescue Houston to help her with the next steps. While she received care in the hospital, an Elijah Rising intervention leader, who speaks Mandarin, went to be with her while the situation was sorted out. The woman was able to receive care at a local family shelter, and our intervention leader is continuing to help with ongoing communications.
The nurse attributed being able to spot sex trafficking because she took a Van Tour and stays connected with us through social media! No matter who you are, or where you work, you can effectively fight sexual exploitation.
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