Maureen tells other women survivors of rape or abuse that they are never the reason that this has happened to them. She calls on women to report rape, especially date rape because it often goes unreported. And most im- portantly, she says, “Trust your gut.” She believes women need to be their own best advocates and not let the world tell them they are crazy when they know something is wrong.
The other defining moment in Mau- reen’s life was a much happier one. She is convinced that she lived through the attack so that she could give birth to her daughter, and she thanks God every night for the gift of being her mom.
Coming home Part of what brought Maureen back to Charlotte was a desire to surround her daughter with an extended family. In 2004, she returned to her hometown to fulfill her girlhood dream of working at WBTV, where today she is a popular news anchor. Her daughter’s life now includes grandparents, and lots of aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Maureen has gained the utmost re- spect from the Charlotte community over the years for her extensive work with charity organizations. Besides emceeing and promoting The Sand- box’s “An Evening of Believing” Prom,
Maureen helps the Assistance League of Charlotte, the American Red Cross Greater Carolinas Chapter, and the Sec- ond Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina, to name a few.
Perhaps more than most people, Mau- reen O’Boyle knows that we are not here forever. When asked how she wants to be remembered, she says she would love for people not to remem- ber her at all, but to see the images she holds in her mind’s eye of a kid strug- gling with an illness, or a hungry per- son waiting in line for food. She feels a soul connection with them, and with the homeless and the disabled, too. Her opportunities to do charity work have shown her “how we as individuals can be messengers of God’s love just through simple acts, and give people a sense of hope who don’t have that.”
I think you can rest assured, Maureen O’Boyle, that even though you want us to remember others first, you will be remembered as a woman who was anchored in hope, faith, and love. ●
Cristina Cassidy Productions “open minds with compelling video”
www.cristinacassidyproductions.com FB: Cristina Cassidy Productions email:
docudramaqueen@mac.com phone: 704-930-8503
www.womanwithknowhow.com SEPTEMBER 2013 35
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