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moms making
a difference
The
Moms
Behind the
MASK
Story //
Gremlyn Bradley-Waddell and Michelle Jacoby
F
or over an hour in the car, everything
came out,” Cabral recalls. “It was
frightening and sad at the same time,
hearing how much my child had already been
exposed to.”
What she wasn’t prepared for was the
conversation that followed after talking to her
younger son (a fourth-grader at the time). He
knew and had heard just as much. In fact, kids
his age were even more aggressive with these
behaviors.
The mother of a blended family with five
children, Cabral worked hard to create a home
in which her children felt comfortable talking
and communicating their feelings. As a stay-at-
home Scottsdale mother, Cabral felt it was her
job to be involved, enroll in parenting classes
and volunteer at her children’s school. The fact
was, despite her involvement, she was behind
the times in what her children were already
absorbing in school.
The experience propel led her into action.
There are defining moments in a person’s life that pave the way for
what they’re meant to do in life. Their “a-ha” moment, if you will.
For Kimberly Cabral, that moment came four years ago during a car
ride with her sixth-grade son. As they spoke, he told her things he
heard from friends and other kids at school. She sat stunned as he
shared what he’d learned about: sexual terms, drug-related practices
and other risky behaviors. It turned out to be one of the most
eye-opening moments in her life.
✪
{
DID YOU KNOW?
}
Young victims of cyberbullying are more likely to suffer from depression than their tormentors.
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maskmatters.org
SPRING
2011
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