PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, Md. — Helping domestic violence survivors is a deeply personal campaign for Prince George’s County Councilwoman Krystal Oriadha. As a survivor herself, she knows just how traumatizing the experience can be.
Yet even after moving on, she says memories of that trauma resurface whenever she sees her scars in her reflection.
“I was in a relationship for 10 years,” she recalled. "It’s really hard to say, 'I’m going to start over,' and 'Will people believe me?' and 'Will people support you?'”
Now she’s calling for the community to support the Healing Scars Act, legislation that would mandate insurance companies to cover plastic surgery for survivors.
“Every day when I look in the mirror, I’m reminded when I see scars that the doctors say it's too late when I came into get treatment ─ that would only be rectified through plastic surgery,” Oriadha said. “There are so many survivors that, even when they heal, they’re reminded of that trauma every day when they look at themselves. And so we want to make sure that we give them all the resources that they need to heal.”
Oriadha is currently working with state delegate Ashanti Martinez to get this initiative ready to present the state legislature when it reconvenes in January. She says one of the benefits of the legislation is that while it expands services, it doesn’t come at the expense of Maryland taxpayers.
It makes plastic surgery for domestic violence cases a coverage that’s included in your insurance,” she explained. “Just like when you have insurance and you go to the doctor for a cold, or you go to get any type of surgery done.”
County leaders say domestic violence cases have been on the rise since the pandemic. Between 2023 and now, cases have risen 13%
Prince George’s law enforcement officials also report that more of the county’s domestic violence homicides and assaults involve family violence.
“It’s not just relationships now,” Oriadha says. “We have incidents of children against their parents ─ parents against their children, so we know there’s something going on in the families and households.”
Despite the rise, Oriadha hopes this legislation will give the county one more tool to help survivors recover before it’s too late. She also has a message to anyone who is dealing with domestic violence of any kind: It’s not your fault, you’re not alone, and there’s help.
“The only thing that matters is that you’re safe, and yes, you might lose friends I the process, but what you’ll have is peace in your life, because the reality is some people don’t make it out alive,” she said.