I was fifteen when my world shattered. My parents, whom I had always relied on, were frantically packing their belongings right before my eyes. “We’ll call child services.
They’ll take you away,” my father’s voice echoed as he stuffed his suitcase with clothes and belongings. I stood there, paralyzed, watching the chaos unfold, unable to comprehend the reality of what was happening. My little brothers, James, aged six, and Lucas, aged five, clung to me, their wide eyes filled with confusion and fear.
When the door slammed shut behind them, leaving us behind, the weight of responsibility crashed down on me. I became a parent overnight, thrust into a world I was unprepared for. The days that followed were a blur of panic, desperation, and sorrow. I tried my best to care for my brothers, but it wasn’t long before we were found and placed into the foster care system. The heart-wrenching separation from James and Lucas left a void in my heart that nothing could fill.
Struggles of Survival
The years that followed were a grueling test of endurance and willpower. I bounced from one foster home to another, each one a new challenge. Some were kind, but others were harsh and unloving.
The streets became my sanctuary at times, a place where I learned the harsh realities of life. I scraped by, working odd jobs, doing whatever it took to survive. The pain of being separated from my brothers never left me. Every night, I would lie awake, wondering where they were, if they were safe, if they remembered me.
If you see a man with one painted fingernail, here’s what it means
When Elliot Costello and a group of other people visited Cambodia, he had an encounter with a young girl named Thea.
Little did Elliot know that this encounter would have an impact so profound on him that it would help start a movement whose goal is to end sexual abuse against children.
Namely, Thea always had nail polish on her tiny nails. One day, as she and Elliot chatted, she asked to paint one of his nails. He agreed and was happy to speak to the chatty girl, but he then learned that she was once a victim of sexual abuse.
“As she painted one of my nails, I assured her I would always keep it that way to remember her, and by extension, her suffering,” Elliot said.
This motivated Elliot to try and make positive change among men so that less and less children fall victims of sexual abuse.
That is when he came up with the movement called #PolishedMan where men put nail polish on one of their nails. That one nail represents the one in five children who will be victims of sexual violence.
Polished Man works towards ending sexual violence against children. According to the organization, “being a Polished Man means challenging violent behavior and language, both locally and globally.”
Elliot believes that since men are responsible for 96% of this type of violence against children globally, they should be catalyst for change if we are ever to see an end to the abuse of innocent children.
The goal with the painted nail isn’t just to remind people of the number of children who are abused every single day, but to serve as a conversation starter about this reality, leading to new ideas about prevention. He also hopes that people will start donating to “support educational programs and resources for child survivors of abuse,” as per APlus.
We hope that more men, including celebrities would be willing to join this movement.
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