SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Many of us experience life-changing moments, but for one family, Michiana, they are still dealing with the effects of their son’s gun abduction last year.
May 23, 2020. That was the day Cheryl and Jason Lee’s lives changed forever. I met them after the boy was kidnapped and robbed by these men right from their front door.
“It’s been a year and I’m still emotional about that feeling of helplessness. Cheryl said.
The suspects were captured by a neighbor’s Ring video just minutes before holding Jason with a gun – forcing him to withdraw $3,000 from three separate ATMs.
The mother and son duo worked hard to work through the traumatic experience – even getting all the stolen money back, but with each passing day like many, they still feel the effects of PTSD.
“Sometimes I have dreams about it. I still have anxiety at times and it affects me socially as well as mentally,” Jason said.
Talking to friends and even using music as an outlet, the two continue to look for healthy ways to restore their mental health.
“Rather than thinking about it, I think creative hobbies are important for the emotional release that you really need to feel because this kind of hurt is not something you can hold back,” says Jason. pressed in the heart”.
As for Cheryl, she initially kept it because she felt guilty about her mental struggles when she wasn’t even a victim.
Today, as she waits to learn the fates of these three men, she encourages anyone with trauma to talk about their struggles.
“I think if I went to a therapist or did something more purposeful to talk about it and get over it, I think I would have gone further and I wouldn’t be upset now a year from now,” Cheryl said. there.
All three suspects in Jason’s case are now charged with armed robbery.
