Darlene Lekowski is an author, speaker, advocate, but most importantly, a survivor.

Forced to hide the secret of her childhood trauma for more than fifty years, Darlene is now speaking out. Her message is one of resiliency and healing, and her intention is to use her voice to help others find theirs.

As a child, Darlene was sexually assaulted by her two eldest brothers.

The youngest of five children, Darlene grew up in a Midwestern town amongst the country club crowd where appearances mattered, especially to her mother. Convinced that her parents would cover it up, and terrified by her brothers’ threats, young Darlene told no one about the assaults, burying the secret in a box inside her mind, determined to keep her family and the good parts of her life intact.

But boxes leak.

Despite an extremely successful career, the weight and shame of this secret impacted every relationship in her life. After finally confiding in a close friend during college, Darlene began to seek help to deal with the ramifications of the trauma she had been through. She firmly believes this investment in her psychological healing helped save her life. 

In 2021, after the death of her mother, the secret exploded.

One of the brothers involved sued Darlene for defamation. Having her personal life and the details of her abuse so publicly put on display was devastating, but Darlene, knowing her truth, counter-sued. And won! 

Her story is featured in an upcoming memoir, scheduled for release in April 2026. 

The secret is now hers to own, and own it she has, channeling her energy into volunteering with organizations that provide education, support, and advocacy for victims of sibling sexual assault. 

It is with this work that she is reaching back to protect the little girl that no one came to save.

It is time to show her that heroes do exist.