In recognition of April as National Child Abuse Prevention Month, Mayor Pro Tem John Erickson issued a proclamation on behalf of West Hollywood highlighting the importance of families and communities working together to prevent child abuse and neglect.
According to the proclamation, approximately five children die every day due to child abuse and over 3.6 million cases of child abuse are reported every year. In response to this issue, the city is commending organizations that are dedicated to preventing and ending child abuse, including Loving Way, a nonprofit organization founded by Dawn McCoy.
Loving Way is committed to fighting to end child abuse through advocacy, awareness, and visibility while also bettering the lives of impacted children. The organization was named in honor of McCoy’s son, Waylon, a brave survivor of child abuse suffered at six weeks old.
The mission of Loving Way is focused on three central goals: heightening community awareness, providing much-needed resources to families of child abuse victims, and increasing the joy for survivors of childhood abuse and their family and caregivers.
In recognition of Child Abuse Prevention Month, the city of West Hollywood acknowledges that we must work together as a community to increase awareness about child abuse and promote the social and emotional well-being of children and families in safe, stable, and nurturing environments.
The proclamation concludes by extending gratitude and love to Dawn McCoy, Waylon McCoy, and Loving Way for all they do to support children and make the world a better place.
WHAT DAWN McCOY SAID
I just want to start by saying thank you to all of you, and thank you to all of your constituents who voted for you. By honoring Child Abuse Prevention Month and recognizing children like Waylon and survivors of abuse, as well as those who didn’t survive, you’re showing a willingness to stand against evil, fight it, and advocate for these children who are often forgotten and overlooked. In the 80s, child abuse was a big channel for advocacy, and we saw PSAs on television everywhere. However, nowadays, we don’t see it as much, but when it comes to child abuse, there isn’t enough awareness or visibility. Parents and doctors aren’t being taught what to look out for, and we need to improve that. We need to do better for these kids.
Having said that, I want you to know that even though Waylon survived something horrific in the first six weeks of his life, he’s smiling. We insist on living, enjoying life, and we want to help other children of abuse and their families do the same. We want to make sure they’re seen and heard, especially when they can’t talk, walk or sit. We say “yet” because we want to be hopeful. Someone once asked me why we keep Waylon in therapies if nothing’s improving. I replied, “It’s very small, it’s very minuscule, but we have to have hope because that is what keeps him going.” It’s what keeps him smiling when people applaud because he thinks they’re clapping for him, which makes him proud. His therapists tell me that he knows what “proud” means because he hears it all the time. We want all the other children of abuse, many of whom are in foster care, or families without resources to help them, to experience joy and love, and we call it the loving way.
Thank you for being part of it and spearheading this journey, Mayor Pro Tem Erickson. I’m sorry, and thank you to all of you for being here for us because we wouldn’t be anything without our community. This city and society as a whole wouldn’t be anything without our leaders, and I really appreciate it. Thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts. And now, let’s clap for Waylon. Thank you very much.
This is terrific! Thank you, Brandon. What a force these two are. They’re doing so much good in the world — and they’re just getting started. Go, Waylon & Dawn!
What an eloquent and fierce champion for her cause and her beautiful son. I am in awe of Ms. McCoy’s grace and dignity. I was in tears as Way reacted to the audience applause–all for him!