A woman who once had very slim chances of survival after being shot in the face at just 18 years old is now using her experience to raise awareness and share an important message.
As a teenager, Amedy Dewey was passionate about playing soccer and took part in competitive cheerleading. But while things looked normal on the outside, her life at home was filled with unimaginable pain.
Tragically, he then turned the gun on her mother, Lisa, and took her life, before fatally shooting himself.
Amedy, against all odds, survived the horrific attack. In the years since, she has endured a grueling recovery, undergoing an astonishing 37 surgeries. Doctors initially believed she had less than a two percent chance of making it.
She went on to say: “I keep reopening these wounds. I keep going for my family, for strangers. I don’t want anybody to suffer what I went through.”
After spending years recovering and going through one procedure after another, Amedy has now found the strength to speak up. She hopes her story can inspire others and help bring more awareness to these deeply important issues.
“This is what I went through. I want you guys to know when somebody is unstable, especially if they have firearms. He threatened to shoot my dog when I was 15. I want people to see the signs.”
Now 25 years old, Amedy underwent her most recent surgery in November of last year. This operation was a major step forward, as it gave her the ability to eat properly for the first time since the life-changing attack.
“It’s another piece to put in the puzzle,” Amedy told PEOPLE during the interview.
She added: “I’ve had a lot of surgeries, but the most recent one made me so happy that I started dancing. I was at home with my dad and my mouth had healed enough to eat real food.”
Help is available at any time of the day. You can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1.800.799.SAFE (7233), which is open 24/7.
Additional local support resources can be found here.