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Domestic violence survivor living with paralysis shares message of hope
Posted by
JLoWednesday, June 13, 2012
Here is a very powerful message I encourage everyone to read. Heather Grossman told her domestic violence story (of two marriages) to AZCentral.
She was shot in the neck by a hitman hired by her first husband after divorce and a custody battle; Heather is now living with paralysis from the shoulders down, is dependent on a ventilator, and requires 24-hour nursing care. Heather unfortunately was still abused further by her second husband after her injury.
My case is one of the worse cases that can happen in a domestic-violence situation, and I am fortunate that I lived, because there are so many women in this country who end up dead. And although my life is very hard -- it's not easy being a quadriplegic, and being on a ventilator, and having to rely on nurses and people to take care of you, and it's financially draining on your whole family -- I am thankful that I lived.
I get up every day and I have a plan, and my nurses, who become my friends, literally help me move throughout the day. I am a very active quadriplegic -- I go grocery shopping, I go to the pharmacy myself, and when my kids were growing up here, I went to every sporting event and was very active in their lives.
Today, Heather lives in her Paradise Valley home with her parents and a rotating team of nurses and assistants. She is a consultant for the U.S. Department of Justice's Office for Victims of Crime and a frequent victims-rights speaker and advocate for victims of domestic violence. She shares her story with judges, police officers, legislators and members of support organizations. She also mentors people who have recently become quadriplegics. She is writing a book and working with the Lifetime network on a movie.
Please read the rest.
Janelle
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