Meet Melissa
Melissa McCormick was born and raised and still lives in Windsor, Ontario Canada. At the age of 19, she was returning home from a night out with her friends in Detroit, Michigan when she became stranded on the freeway just minutes away from the Detroit-Windsor tunnel. She was subsequently robbed at gunpoint, kidnapped and over a terrifying twelve hour period, gang raped repeatedly. Working closely with the Detroit police, the perpetrators were brought to justice and three of the men remain incarcerated today. Melissa’s Canadian best-selling book “The Queen’s Daughter” describes in detail the assault and the aftermath of being a rape victim. “She is so normal. When you hear what happened to her you think, No way, amazing”. “She has an undeniable passion for life.” “I love her open and friendly personality. She is definitely confident in herself”. Melissa is past President of the Windsor and Essex County Sexual Assault Crisis Center (2005-2008), past president of the Windsor Women’s Economic Forum and a former Rotarian. She is the recipient of numerous awards and honors for her work in the non-profit sector and is the 2009 Athena Award recipient sponsored by the Windsor and District Chamber of Commerce. At the end of 2005 she closed her successful retail business after 20 years to devote full time to the “Cause” and to represent all the victims who do not yet have the courage to stand up and speak out. You will learn how Melissa overcame the odds to become a successful mother, entrepreneur and friend. This story is so compelling that the movie rights have been secured and will soon become a feature film shown in theatres everywhere. The short film "Determined" based on her book is complete and will debut in 2011. www.emotivefilms.ca Help support this dynamic and courageous woman who has lived trough the worst imaginable nightmare by purchasing a copy of "The Queen's Daughter" |
Praise“My compliments to Melissa on writing "The Queen's Daughter". To say that I appreciated reading it would be an understatement. I worked 9 years in Detroit commuting daily, and my appreciation of life there is such that until someone who has worked there they would not understand life there. I was working there during the 1967 riots and life was hell. As far as I am concerned, life in Detroit has not changed. Even after the riots, I made it a point to race down the Freeway at night headed for the border. Don't be caught there after dark.” • • • • “Melissa, I remember following the case when it happened. It was the most disgusting crime I had ever imagined. I'm so glad you were able to survive to tell the story. Just the fact that you are able to tell the story says volumes about your character. It will help many women who have been and will be victims of this terrible type of crime. I wish you the best life a person could have. You are truly an example of the strength possible in a human being.” God bless you, • • • • “Like most Detroiters, I have never forgotten the story of your assault, it was so terrible. I admired you for the way you handled yourself during all the phases of the trial, and I admire you all the more now that you have written a book, which I will buy. You are from good stock, a woman of courage and class, and I wish you all the happiness in the world.” Yours truly, • • • • “I read your story in the Detroit Free Press (2/20/04) and it truly touched my heart. Only god and his wonderful mercy, could have saved you from such a horrific ordeal. But what I find even more moving, are the shoes that you walk in right now. I'm so glad that god did a supernatural work in your life. Feeling hurt, anger and bitterness are emotions that are very understandable, but I’m glad that you took your sister’s advice and moved forward and started living again. Forgiveness is truly the key. In order for god to move in us and through us, we have to let go and let god heal, purge and cleanse us. What the devil meant for evil, god has turned it around for good because you have allowed him to use your tragedy to heal many. I thank god that May God continue to bless you with favor and prosper your way!!! Because you are not the queen's daughter, but the king's daughter’s (our heavenly father).” In his service, • • • • “I just recently reconnected with Zorka and Mike a couple of weeks ago. I happened to be in Windsor a couple of Fridays back and went to see Mike's band play. We sat and talked and he related to me all about your book. I must admit it brought back memories that I had long put away – probably a lot of us did. The next day I picked up the paper for my mom and they’re on the front page is the article relating to the release of the book! I called Zorka right away and we talked at length about a lot of things. The book was the focal point though and I asked if she could send a copy my way and it arrived on Friday. I sat and read it yesterday and I have to tell you that I ran the gamut of emotions. For all of us that know you the emotional attachment makes it a pretty tough read. This is however above all, a story of triumph and I applaud your courage and I wish you all the success you so richly deserve. I'm one of those people who has always believed that all things that happen to us in life, whether good or bad, have a purpose. One can scarcely imagine what purpose your ordeal could have had until perhaps now. We all influence other people’s lives in ways that we can only imagine, but I'm sure that with the release of this book, you will influence countless lives in profound and meaningful ways that you probably never would have thought possible even a few years ago. May you continue to enrich your own life along the way. Proud of you Melissa.” All our love • • • • “Melissa, I live in Victoria BC and heard your radio spot on Peter Warren's show. Anyways, good luck with the book release, stay positive and enjoy life.” • • • • “Dear Senora M: I was in my office in Las Vegas, Nevada reading your article/story. It was so touching but sad. I can't imagine what happened that night because I am a young man but I can understand the terrible fear that you experienced. Your sister is right, you have to continue to live even in the worst circumstances. For example, the death of a love one; a love one being murder; and your situation (rape) of a sister and/or love one. Life goes on – it's terrible!!! Just hang in there and don't let your guard down. I tell my wife all the time to always be on the defense. I really do hate that the world has turned to this but most of all I hate that we have to rise our children in this type of environment.” Sincerely, • • • • “Melissa, the horrendous acts you had to deal with in 1976 were 12 hours of hell. Thank God your sister said the right words to make you snap out of the self-pity and seek professional help. You did survive and you were alive. I'm sure it was not easy as it took you all these years to openly talk about that day and write a book. But since you did live for another day enjoy your life as best you can because you owe it to yourself. Good luck in the future.” • • • • “Dear Melissa, I can distinctly remember who you are, how you looked over 30 years ago. You were such a tiny young teenager, very well dressed, attractive , dark perfectly combed hair and again meticulous in your appearance. I just looked in the ' 73 yearbook at good old W.C.I. and I was looking for your picture in grade nine or ten, thinking you were three or four grades behind me. It shocked me to realize you were only ONE grade back of me. You just seemed like such a young little girl in high school, much younger than me, I thought. Well anyway, I also remember hearing and reading about your ordeal many years ago, while I was going to university, and I just felt such sadness and sorrow for what you experienced at such a young age, and at a time of your life when you just want to have fun and enjoy every new moment that comes your way. I 'm so sorry that you went through one of the worst experiences that life has to offer. You just happened to leave yourself in a very vulnerable position that evening, through no fault of your own, and a tragedy occurred. But, you dusted yourself off, got back on your feet, and made your decision a long time ago that you wanted to live. My dear Melissa, you are a survivor. You have turned your life around, have children who now look to you for guidance and love, keep yourself busy with your job that you enjoy. The best part of all is, you're alive and well – you've made it. Not many people, men or women, could go through such a tragic ordeal like yours , and have the guts and determination to live and now tell your story, for all to see and read . I'm so very proud of you, you never quit, you never gave up, even though I'm sure you struggled with your survival , many years ago. May you find comfort now and in the future by telling all about your story, and hopefully take comfort from all the new and old friends that will probably be in touch with you shortly...” • • • • “Melissa's book is not only about her kidnapping and gang rape but how she managed to escape and then recover from this traumatic event. The book describes the journey she took to achieve a normal life once again. The message she wants to leave the reader is that it is possible to overcome the various challenges that life throws at you, no matter how difficult. Communication is one of the keys and that you should not be ashamed or afraid to come forward and tell someone what has happened to you. Reading The Queen's Daughter is a valuable experience for other victims of sexual assault as they can follow Melissa's thought process while she was in captivity: disbelief that this is happening... thinks she's going to die... wanting to die... disbelief that she is still alive... wanting to escape... then deciding how she can bargain for her life. When a victim reads her book they can see how their feelings were similar to Melissa's - that this is a common thread to victims of sexual assault. Seeing how Melissa thought society regarded her after the assault is very worthwhile as well. Reading The Queen’s Daughter will help victims in their own recovery process.” • • • • “A couple of similar victim friends of mine also say that they could not move ahead as persons until they were able to forgive their assailant...a really difficult truth to portray to those victims who are still in the midst of their journey and still so hurt and violated, still filled with anger and a desire for justice based in revenge. We just have to support and nurture them and be patient for their own movement to begin within themselves.” • • • • Your courage and sense of integrity, speaks eloquently with such honour for your personal journey, and for the countless other silenced voices of rape/sexual assault victim/survivors. • • • • “Melissa is a brave woman - first to withstand and escape such an attack, second to relive it through the trial of her attackers, and now, all these years later to write about it. I salute her strength.” • • • • “I mentioned this book in my homily last weekend as the gospel was from Luke on forgiveness and non-judgement. |