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NEW YORK – A local woman shared her brave story of surviving an abusive relationship with the women of “The View” on Tuesday.

Johanna Orozco, of Cleveland, was raped at knifepoint and shot in the face by her ex-boyfriend in 2007. Following 12 surgeries, she now works as a domestic violence advocate, telling teens about some of the warning signs.

“The controlling and telling me what to wear. Your time is always with him and him only,” said Johanna Orozco, a teen educator at the Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center. “I thought it was cute. In reality, it isn’t. You feel miserable. You are trapped.”

Her colleagues watched the show Tuesday morning and said they couldn’t be prouder.

“Seeing Johanna on the show is very exciting for us because this is the work she does,” said Tim Boehnlein, the training and education director at DVCAC. “This is very fitting for her to be on this kind of a stage to tell her story.”

Johanna was asked to go on “The View” with Vice President Joe Biden because she helped get two laws passed that protect teenagers in abusive relationships.

“House Bill 19, in schools from grades seven to 12, teachers have to educate their students about what teen dating violence is and how to get out of it,” said Orozco. “With House Bill 10, teens age 13 to 18, are now able to get protection orders, which is something I couldn’t get.”

Orozco told Barbara Walters she is now engaged to a very nice man who serves in the Army.

Article Courtesy of WEWS NewsChannel 5