News 12 First at Five/ February 7, 2012

AUGUSTA, Ga.--After three deadly cases of domestic violence already this year, an unlikely survivor of domestic violence is taking a stand.
Lespaul Morgan is speaking out about his story, in hopes that it will give other the courage to seek help.

He tells News 12, "I never thought of myself as being a person who could even receive domestic violence, and yet from the time that I was a young child, here my father was, yelling at me and screaming at me."

Morgan endured years of abuse from his father, even on the day he buried a brother.

"I went out to the casket to say goodbye, I was crying over the loss of my brother. And my father saw me, and he grabbed me by the neck and pushed me into the casket. Stuck my face against his, against his body, and said--this is you one day," he remembers.

Now that he's a grown man himself, Morgan is speaking out, and making sure others know that domestic violence can affect more than just women.

"I was trying to deny it because i'm a guy," he says,

When he was 22, Morgan survived a brain aneurysm, but the injury forced him to stay with his mother and his abusive father.

"I felt a wild pain hit me in the head, and I had had a second brain aneurysm. And I screamed for help, and my father
turned around and punched me and started yelling, you stupid idiot, why are you screaming at me? And I'm screaming for
help," he says.

Now, Morgan works at Walton Options for Independent Living, a company for people with disabilities run by people with disabililties. They sponsor a forum for victims of domestic violence every year. Each year, someone is awarded "Victor or Victoria the Victorious", a teddy bear.

Cyndy Anzek, the Sr. Director of Program Services at Walton Options says, "The award is given to an individual that not only survived, but thrived from their experience. "

The award this past year was given to Morgan, and at first, he wasn't so sure about it.

"I'm a guy. I thought this happens to just women is what i'm thinking in my head," he says.

But now he knows that sharing his story is the best way to help others.

"I've found if you hide it away, there's going to be lots of hurt people that don't get the help they need," he says.

The 8th annual "Love Shouldn't Hurt" forum, sponsored by Walton Options will be held Tuesday, February 14. It is completely free for those who attend. It will be held at 518 13th Street in Augusta. Registration is from 12:30-1:00p.m, and the workshop will be from 1:00-4:00p.m. For more information, call 803-279-9611.