Before Her Death at 23, Daisy Coleman Wanted Sex Assault Survivors Not to ‘Feel So Much Alone’

"I feel like the positive outcome of all this is that people don't feel so much alone, and they feel like they can actually go out and get justice, and speak against their perpetrators now, because they see other people doing so,” she told PEOPLE.

Coleman also bemoaned the cruelties of social media, recognizing it as a “double-edged sword” — “after I realized that words on a screen could have so much effect on someone, I decided to turn that negativity into something compassionate, and put positivity out there."

In a statement released after the death of Coleman — who was also a tattoo artist and model — SafeBAE described the young activist as “our sister in this work, and much of the driving force behind it. We were not just a non-profit team, but a family,” noting that Coleman “fought for many years to both heal from her assault and prevent future sexual violence among teens.”

“She had been in EMDR therapy for 2 years, working on her triggers and healing from the many traumas in her life,” the SafeBAE statement continued. “She had many coping demons and had been facing and overcoming them all, but as many of you know, healing is not a straight path or any easy one. She fought longer and harder than we will ever know.”

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The group also highlighted Coleman’s ongoing passion for helping fellow survivors, noting, “We want to be mindful of all the young survivors who looked up to her. Please know that above ALL ELSE, she did this work for you. She would want young survivors to know they are heard, they matter, they are loved, and there are places for them to get the help they need."

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to online.rainn.org.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

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