Survivor Stories

In the final episode of our second season, host Debbie Millman hears from Elliston Berry, a young survivor, and her mother, Anna McAdams, about the devastating reality of peer-on-peer image-based abuse. We discuss their advocacy for the federal TAKE IT DOWN Act and the urgent need for a more robust response from our school systems.

Debbie Millman sits down with Ashley Spence, founder of the DNA Justice Project, to discuss a critical gap in our justice system—the widespread failure to collect “lawfully owed DNA” from people arrested or convicted of serious crimes. By some estimates, millions of DNA samples are missing from DNA databases, making it harder for authorities to identify perpetrators and bring justice to survivors. After experiencing a brutal assault, Ashley witnessed the power of DNA to obtain justice in her own case and became a leading voice for DNA advocacy. In this episode, she shares her story of resilience and her mission to end this systemic neglect.

In our first episode of Survivors Stories Season 2, we continue our deep dive into the issue of image-based abuse with Susanna Gibson, a survivor and the founder of MyOwn Image. Susanna joins host Debbie Millman to share her journey from trauma to healing and advocacy, explaining how she reclaimed her narrative to embrace a mission of protecting others from digital harm.

Join host Debbie Millman, a survivor and Joyful Heart Foundation board member, as she introduces a new season of Survivor Stories, featuring resilient individuals turning personal trauma into powerful advocacy for legislative and systemic change.

In the final episode of this season of Survivor Stories, we explore the devastating impact of image-based abuse; from AI-generated deepfakes to the distribution of nonconsensual intimate imagery. Meet Noelle Martin, who at just 18 discovered manipulated images of herself online that derailed her law career and led her to become a powerful advocate for change. Then hear from Adam Dodge, founder of EndTAB, who explains the evolving landscape of technology-enabled abuse and the progress being made to combat it. Together, they reveal how digital violations can be as traumatic as physical violence, plus what's being done to hold abusers and platforms accountable and change the culture at the root of the problem.

Join host Debbie Millman as she explores how statutes of limitations can prevent justice for sexual assault survivors—and the promise of the growing movement to eliminate them. This episode features Donna Palomba, a survivor who founded Jane Doe No More after her own harrowing experience, and Jennifer Long, CEO of Aequitas, who works with prosecutors to hold perpetrators accountable. Together, they illuminate the power of survivors’ voices and the reforms needed to better serve them.

In our first episode, we explore one of Joyful Heart Foundation's top priorities: ending the rape kit backlog. After sexual assault survivor Natasha Alexenko’s rape kit sat untested for nearly a decade, she felt compelled to become an advocate for reform and founded Natasha’s Justice Project. Learn how she transformed her trauma into a nationwide movement that’s changing legislation and bringing justice to survivors.

Join host Debbie Millman, a survivor and Joyful Heart Foundation board member, as she introduces you to remarkable individuals who experienced trauma yet channeled it into changing laws and minds.