Held, Even Then: The Healing Power of Art Created by Survivors

On the International Day of the Boy Child, we pause to recognize the unique vulnerabilities boys face, and the strength, resilience, and healing that so often go unseen.

At PACT, we are honored to share original creative work from Sean Wheeler, a member of our Survivors’ Council: two poems written during a deeply personal period of healing, alongside a painting created in response by Hannah Baker, a fellow survivor.

These works are not only expressions of pain — they are testaments to survival, reflection, and the enduring search for meaning.

Writing as Healing

Sean wrote these poems while deeply engaged in counseling work, using writing as a tool for healing and self-expression.

“I’m a writer, and I find writing to be very healing.”

The two poems that follow emerge from that process, offering insight into lived experience while holding space for reflection and recovery.

A Painting Born from Shared Experience

The painting accompanying these poems was created by Hannah Baker, another survivor and artist who endured abuse as a child while living with a physical disability. She was once part of Artists Against Trafficking, a collective that used art to raise awareness about human trafficking.

Inspired by one of the poems shared here, she created a piece that carries profound personal meaning for Sean:

“When I first saw it, it brought tears to my eyes. She told me the child in the painting is me as a little kid, held in the arms of Jesus, though in the natural I was being trafficked. He was there, even if I didn’t know it at the time.”

Honoring Survivors, Amplifying Voices

This International Day of the Boy Child, we are reminded that boys, too, are affected by sexual exploitation and trafficking, and that their stories are often under-recognized.

By sharing these poems and this artwork, we honor not only one survivor’s journey, but the countless others whose voices deserve to be heard.

Creative expression can be a powerful pathway toward healing. It can also help others feel less alone.

For those who want to hear more of his story in his own words, Sean Wheeler was recently featured on a podcast by The Detectives, where he speaks about his experiences and journey toward healing.

“Every time you see statistics, just remember that a lot of them are missing. Every statistic has a name, and every name has a face.”