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'Bow ties saved my life': Woman tells story of domestic abuse through sewing

It took Deonka Ruffin 12 years to leave behind an abusive relationship. Now she's using her story to inspire others.

AUSTIN, Texas — She was bruised but not broken. An Austin-area woman left behind more than a decade of domestic violence by making bow ties.

Cutting fabric was not always something Deonka Ruffin did.

"This sewing machine allowed me to have a voice when I thought I didn't have one," she said.

Her happiness is now seen through vibrant colors of fabric.

"It allowed me to express myself in ways I couldn't express myself," Ruffin said.

She is now sewing away the memories of a difficult past.

"It didn't all start off as bad - over time it got worse," she explained with tears in her eyes.

She was trapped in a 12-year relationship of abuse, humiliation and violence.

"There was a situation where I had his hands around my neck and his knees on my stomach," she said.

Sadly she was another domestic violence statistic. The number of women caught up in cycles of abuse are growing.

According to non-profit group No More, one in four women experience violence from their partners in their lifetimes.

RELATED: Low numbers for sexual assault reports in Texas

"When I left the situation I had nothing but clothes on my back and a couple of outfits in my car," she said.

Fortunately the community rallied behind her to regain her dignity and belongings.

She says her physical and emotional exhaustion was eventually taken away through the use of fabric, needle and thread.

Since leaving her abusive partner, she started her own business called "Bow Inertia."

"Then I decided at that point that I could use that to help me," she said.

She's now made more than 1,000 bow ties of all shapes and sizes.

"My main thing is you can't change somebody. No matter how much you try a tiger is not going to change its stripes."

She recalls living over a decade affected by abuse.

She's starting a new chapter in her life by forgetting the past by creating bow ties.

"It literally saved my life," she said. "It allowed me to express myself in ways that were not possible."

The #ThisIsWhereIStart campaign is an initiative based in Austin, TX that encourages victims of domestic violence to take the first step to getting help, to promote awareness for domestic violence...

She's now using her business as a way to shape her own destiny.

"Because that's just not how we should live, that's not how love works," Ruffin said.

A portion of the money made in her bow ties goes to nonprofit groups that help victims like her recover from domestic violence.

If you are interested in buying one of her hand made bow ties, visit Ruffin's website.

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