Three women who rescued victims of sexual violence receive award for their courage

AKRON, Ohio – At House Three Thirty in Akron, the Hope and Healing Survivor Resource Center celebrated its 50th anniversary Friday while recognizing Donna McFadden and Sue Victor for their courage.

“I actually didn't want to put my face out there, but the more I listened to Donna and what we did, the more I realized you have to put your face out there,” Victor said.

Donna and Sue are two of three women who rescued a 33-year-old woman at an Akron trailhead in August after the woman told News 5 that a stranger grabbed her from behind and pinned her arms to her side that morning at Cascade Valley Metro Park.

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“We started fighting and I just started screaming as loud as I could,” she said. “I was on my knees and he was on my back and I was able to use the SOS function on my phone,” said the survivor, who wished to remain anonymous.

Fortunately, the three women heard the woman's cries for help and together rescued the 33-year-old.

McFadden, A 65-year-old grandmother who had served two years in the US Marine Corps hit the man on the head with a rock.

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Issac Armour, 32, who is accused of sexually assaulting the woman, will now be fined $500,000. He is accused of several crimes, including attempted rape and kidnapping.

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“It doesn't matter where you are in life. You can help somebody. We're grandmas, but it didn't matter,” McFadden said.

That is the message Teresa Stafford, CEO of the Hope and Healing Survivor Resource Center, wants to convey to the public by presenting these ladies with her organization's “No Harm Award” on Friday.

“For us, that's the ultimate sacrifice and the level of empathy that we want from every person in this world. When they see something, they do something, and that's why it was important to us to recognize their work,” said Teresa Stafford, CEO of the Hope and Healing Survivor Resource Center.

The organization said it is committed to continuing this work to one day eradicate this problem.