DILLON, SC (WBTW) – October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and several organizations across the state and the Pee Dee region are banding together to put and end to domestic violence through victim support and advocacy, education, awareness, and culture change. 

According to the Dillon County Pee Dee Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Assault, the county ranks sixth in the state for domestic violence. Advocates say 261 incidents were reported in 2016 and they assisted 73 victims. 

News13 also sat down with Manessa Hardin, a domestic violence survivor who lives in Dillon. Hardin says she was just four years old when she witnessed her father beat her mother to death. 

“He was on top of her. And he started pressing her neck and he started choking her. And we had a sliding glass door. And you know the sticks with the hollow mouse? There was a hollow mouse at the end. A big brass mouse. And he beat her in the face repeatedly and beat her until she died,” she recalled. 

After her mother’s murder, Hardin was forced to live with other relatives, who she says emotionally abused her. 

“[My grandmother] was like ‘no, you killed your mom.’ And she made me believe until I was 15 that I was the reason my dad killed my mom because she told me that babies were expensive and I was the last born so I caused a lot of heartache,” Hardin said. 

Hardin also says she was bulimic, was bullied in school, was raped, and started drinking and doing drugs as a teenager. 

“I got into a lot of trouble. I was in promiscuous relationships. I hurt a lot of people. And when I was 21, I started calming down and I met my oldest child’s dad,” she said. 

Hardin tells News13 the relationship moved quickly and she got pregnant with her first child soon after she and her boyfriend started dating. She says the relationship was fine at first but her boyfriend eventually began physically and verbally abusing her. She says she stayed in the relationship for three years because she wanted her daughter to grow up with two parents. Hardin says she made the decision to leave the abusive relationship after her boyfriend slammed her onto the ground in front of her two-year-old daughter. 

“And then whenever I looked over, I saw her face. And it took me back to being four years old and seeing my dad do that. And us on that couch yelling ‘Daddy’s killing our mommy. Daddy’s killing Mommy. Stop daddy,’” she said. She says her daughter walked over to her and asked the same question she asked her mother after witnessing her murder: “Mommy, are you okay?”

That’s when Hardin decided to leave. Since then, she has entered a healthy relationship and got married, has three daughters, and shares her story in hopes of helping others. 

“I feel like everything happens for a reason and I was left here for a reason. And the number one question I get asked in speeches is: ‘If you could change anything, would you?’ and I tell them ‘No, I wouldn’t.’ Because it made me who I am. My weaknesses made me stronger,” said Hardin. 

Hardin is also a volunteer at the Pee Dee Coalition. The Pee Dee Coalition offers a wide range of services including support groups, individual counseling, criminal justice advocacy, and community education. Advocates say community awareness is imperative in the fight to end domestic violence. They want people to know anyone, regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation, race, or socioeconomic status, can be impacted by domestic violence. They’re encouraging people to educate themselves on the signs, symptoms, and contributing factors of abuse. The Pee Dee Coalition also has emergency shelters where victims and their children can live for up to 60 days. A free and confidential crisis hotline is also available 24/7. If you or someone you know is in danger, you can call 1 (800) 273-1820. 

The Pee Dee Coalition serves Florence, Darlington, Marion, Chesterfield, Marlboro, Dillon and Williamsburg counties and has satellite centers in Bennettsville, Chesterfield, Darlington, Dillon, Hartsville, Kingstree, Lake City and Marion. The satellite center in Dillon is located at 300 North 1st Avenue.