Support from an Unexpected Source

Many people at GBMC know that I am a huge Steely Dan fan. I love jazz and Steely Dan brought the harmonics of jazz to rock and roll music beginning in the 1970’s. What those same people don’t know (and may not believe) is that I have become a big supporter of the band Breaking Benjamin.

My son, Mike, is a huge Breaking Benjamin fan. Mike invited me to go with him to see them at an outdoor venue in Massachusetts, the Xfinity Center, last Saturday. Suffice it to say that Breaking Benjamin is a very high energy metal band and I stood up for all 90 minutes of the concert. I enjoyed the show, but it wasn’t until this week when I learned that Breaking Benjamin are big supporters of GBMC’s SAFE (Sexual Assault Forensic Examination) program that I became a real fan.

Laura Clary BSN, RN, FNE-A/P, SANE-A, CFN, CPEN, Clinical Manager of our SAFE program, told me that recently the members of Breaking Benjamin were seen during a concert wearing t-shirts that highlight our program. These shirts call out the wonderful work that Laura and her team do for the community.

Our SAFE and Domestic Violence programs do so much for the victims of sexual assault and domestic violence as well as educating the community to reduce these attacks. The assessment and treatment of victims of sexual assault is very complex. Expertise and caring are required not only to address the medical and psychological needs of the patient but also to complete the forensic work necessary to aid law enforcement in the identification of the perpetrator to see that justice is served.

I am glad to see our program get the visibility it deserves on such a big “stage.” Many of us are guilty of stereotyping celebrities as being self-centered and uncaring. This certainly is not the case for Breaking Benjamin!