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The Joyful Heart Foundation, founded by Emmy-winning actress and advocate Mariska Hargitay, has launched a powerful new podcast: Survivor Stories: Pathways to Hope, Healing, and Action. This groundbreaking series shares the journeys of remarkable individuals who have transformed personal trauma into movements for systemic change.
The podcast debuted with the story of the late Natasha Alexenko, a survivor whose rape kit remained untested for nearly a decade. Rather than allowing this injustice to define her, Natasha became a national advocate for rape kit reform, helping to drive legislative and systemic change across the United States. Her story highlights both the devastating ripple effects of sexual assault and the strength survivors harness to fight for justice.
“Sexual assault doesn’t just affect the survivor. It affected my mother, my friends, my family. Everyone who loved me was broken… He changed the trajectory of my life forever.” — Natasha Alexenko
Survivor Stories is introduced by Joyful Heart founder Mariska Hargitay and hosted by Debbie Millman, a multihyphenate creative, longtime Joyful Heart board member, and survivor herself. Each episode features powerful personal narratives alongside expert insights from advocates working on the frontlines of sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse reform.
The podcast’s goal is clear: to foster hope, healing, and action by amplifying survivor voices and raising public awareness about systemic failures—and how they can be changed.
🎧 Listen to Survivor Stories:
About the Joyful Heart Foundation:
Founded in 2004 by Mariska Hargitay, Joyful Heart’s mission is to transform society’s response to sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse, support survivors’ healing, and ultimately end this violence. The Foundation leads efforts such as the End the Backlog campaign, focused on eliminating the massive backlog of untested rape kits in the U.S. Joyful Heart’s advocacy extends to legislative reform, survivor support services, and public education initiatives.
About the Host, Debbie Millman:
Debbie Millman is the host of the award-winning podcast Design Matters, Chair of the Masters in Branding Program at the School of Visual Arts, Editorial Director of PrintMag.com, and author of eight books. As a survivor and advocate, Millman brings a deeply personal and empathetic perspective to each conversation on Survivor Stories.
Listen to Survivor Stories and be inspired by the courageous individuals working to create a safer, more compassionate world for all survivors.