2004: Bridget Kelly Helps Other Assault Victims

As we continue the daughter clinging to life. The journalist her father desperately trying to help her and wins his help Bridget Kelly is about to write an extraordinary. And unpredictable ending. To... See More

As we continue the daughter clinging to life. The journalist her father desperately trying to help her and wins his help Bridget Kelly is about to write an extraordinary. And unpredictable ending. To her own story. First question. -- -- -- Second question. Is is -- going to win. -- -- -- -- Michael Kelly's publishers supplied a private -- and he flew literally threw his daughter's side. She had regained consciousness just before he arrived. Are normally very lively eyes. Open -- -- Lifeless. -- no. Sparkled as if she had seen hell. And I've never seen him look so sad and it -- so sad and distraught. As at that moment I took her hand and I think history hand and arm. Your head. And he held my hand and we just both just started just crying -- crying high. It was at this point just moments after he got to the hospital that Bridget turned her story -- -- her dad. She had tubes down her throat and couldn't talk. I -- emotionally and one and -- right. -- And he pulled out. -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Dad I was thinking about you and mom and my family when it was happening and -- to see you again. As he stood at her bedside Mike told his daughter of the man who had raped there had been caught and he -- -- his paper would cover the story of the attack. And I wrote saying -- question mark. And he said. Because of the policy of our paper and most organizations -- was not to link. The name of -- victim. With -- But that Pelosi made no sense to -- Who when she could talk urged her father to try and change. -- -- why is it more shameful to be a rape victim that I gunshot. Victim. -- you thought that through now. At that time I was just thinking. -- that's kind of a significant details to leave out and I didn't get why they wouldn't report that. If you're gonna tell the story tell the whole story. Richard thought the greater stigma would be to have her name withheld as if there were something to be ashamed. So Michael Kelly set out to right -- -- whole story. In his first columns he couldn't mention the rate because of his paper's policy but after a month's discussion editors relented and he could. Just as Bridget wanted. The first thing -- -- Please type in the fast and it's looking back -- -- this brings it now you don't have to read between the lines and wonder my daughter was -- Once those words appeared in print once the story was in wide circulation. There was an outpouring every action letters cards emails. So many women who had survived. -- Then came forward. Who was almost as if they've been waiting for someone. Who given the OK to talk about it. And in a way it's devastating. Because you're starting to realize. This is at -- the secret. It wasn't enough that people had read Bridget story she also wanted them to see at -- hurt. So she made a TV public service announced. My name's -- Seven months ago I was raped and shot. In this field. Took some guts to go -- And saying. I'm not afraid of this field -- afraid. Of what happened to me. When I was in the hospital a longtime friend of the family who -- -- For my whole life -- and so that my bedside and told me about her story. About how she'd been raped I said. To think about it every day and -- now and I knew in that moment that I was gonna get scared to. After that public service campaign Bridget says proudly. Calls to the Texas -- plot line went up 200%. I realize that. Connecting. With other survivors like myself. That there was a lot of valued at that and that it it makes people feel you know as my friend in the hospital made me feel. That I wasn't alone. Like any good newspaper men -- went in search of numbers there are almost a 100000 reported rapes every year. But it is estimated more than 60% their rates are not report -- An 80% of rape victims are under thirty. Bridget has put a face on those numbers affecting newspapers policies reaching thousands with her television -- And by talking to anyone who will listen and we went whether or not long ago to her alma mater high school in Omaha. She takes every question simple no matter how blunt. My feelings Atlanta -- -- Princeton. Her attacker by the way is in prison for life plus forty years. Keeping him. From the -- think god would now. But I'm not ready to. Pray for him and beat and like really mean it. And when other people tell me they are praying for him I think thank you because that's a load off me you know. But in the end of course there are more cheers than laughter. -- -- -- I think I -- humanities and you all. You -- -- men. And I can say that with. Certainties -- And now I think it's smoother fortunate. Because. When you're talking about rape. You find out after talking about it that there's this little secret club. That he never wanted to belong to. But once you're there you're glad you're not alone.