In the 16 years she has worked in the field of child abuse, there is one case that Rashmi Adi-Brown will never forget.

Adi-Brown, director of programs for Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky, said a 15-year-old victim she treated in therapy had attempted suicide numerous times and had a long history of hospitalizations.

"She took every day as it came; that's all she could do," said Adi-Brown. "I really didn't know if we would make it."

But three years later Adi-Brown watched the girl graduate from high school. It was the best day of her professional career, she said -- and it has served as an inspiration ever since.

Speaking after a vigil against child abuse in downtown Louisville, Adi-Brown said her work with the teen inspired her to be more aware of abuse and to help make others more aware.

She did that yesterday when she spoke to approximately 50 people attending Family & Children First's third annual Child Abuse Prevention Month vigil, held in Jefferson Square Park at Sixth and Jefferson streets.

This month, preventing child abuse is a focus, said Adi-Brown. But the reality is child abuse "exists every day of every month of every year."

Each year, 3 million children nationwide are reported abused or neglected, said Adi-Brown. Of those, more than 1 million are confirmed, according to a 2001 report by Prevent Child Abuse America.

In Kentucky, in 2004 more than 67,000 children were reported abused or neglected, 34 children died as a result of abuse or neglect, and 36 were near-fatalities, according to the state Cabinet for Health and Family Services.

In Indiana, there were 57 deaths and 25,000 substantiated cases of abuse last year, according to the Indiana Youth Institute Kids Count 2005 report.

"We constantly say children are the future of our tomorrow -- if we keep this up we won't have a future," Adi-Brown said.

Abuse affects victims long after the incident, said Adi-Brown, causing overwhelming feelings of sadness, depression and anger. As adults, victims of child abuse may turn to alcohol, drugs and food to deal with their pain, she said. They can also become perpetrators of abuse.

But the good news is victims of child abuse are resilient, and with effective intervention the cycle can be broken, said Adi-Brown.

It is a job that takes everyone in the community, something Capt. Steve Thompson, commander of the Crimes Against Children unit for Louisville Metro Police, knows well.

But it isn't an easy job, Thompson said in an interview after the vigil.

"I've been in almost every command in this department, and this one is the hardest I have ever had."

Every time an abuse case crosses his desk, Thompson said, he hopes it will be the last one -- but it never is.

"Hopefully, days like today and the recognition of this month can prevent several would-be victims from being victims," said Thompson. "That's why were all in this business."

Reporter Katya Cengel can be reached at (502) 582-4224.