Happy Easter! Today is a day that many associate with healing and the resurrection of life. What a better way to celebrate new beginnings than by honoring today’s #SurvivorSunday feature, Shawn Plummer. Shawn explains below her terrifying near death experience and how she fought to not only survive but to live the life she deserves.

Shawn’s Story:

My name is Shawn Marie Plummer and I am a survivor. On Dec 15^th, 2012, my whole life changed. I was so excited for my annual Christmas party that I got all dressed up, ready for a fun and exciting night. I went with my boyfriend. We ate dinner, had drinks and danced the night away with coworkers. When it came time to leave I couldn’t find him so I left and a co-worker brought me home. I was laying down, asleep, when I woke up to my boyfriend standing over me, yelling. He was screaming, completely intoxicated. I tried to calm him down but then it began…

He threw me to the floor, sat on my arm and started punching me in the face. As I lay there, trying to get away and block the punches from hitting my face, all I remember was praying to God,“Please don’t let this be the way I die.” I thought about my sons being without a mom as he continued to punch me over and over again. Seeing his blood covered hands, I begged him to stop but it only got worse. I finally freed myself and tried to run when he grabbed me by my hair. He then grabbed the closest thing he could find, a living room lamp, and continued to beat me. I lay there covered in blood, crying and begging him to stop. He stopped but at that point it only got worse. He came back with a shotgun and at that moment I thought my life was over Holding the gun to my head, he threatened to take my life. As I lay there begging for my life, he put the gun down and began to kick me in the head until I passed out. I was found the next day by my mother. She had tried calling me all morning because we had a Christmas shopping trip planned and felt something was wrong. She found me on my kitchen floor in a puddle of blood and my boyfriend was passed out with the shotgun in his recliner. She then rushed me to the ER where I was diagnosed with a broken jaw, broken nose, broken ribs and broken hand. I had blood coming from both ears, 2 black eyes and several other lacerations. I literally screamed when I saw my face and realized the damage he had done to the person he said was his “world and soul mate”. I was a mess emotionally and physically broken but still, I loved him. Why?? What did I do to deserve this?! The hospital and my mother wanted me to press charges but I said “Then he won’t be with his kids for Christmas.” Meanwhile, I’m in ICU…can’t talk ,can barely walk and now homeless and jobless because of HIM!!! Not to mention, my heart is broken.

After a week in the hospital and no job or money, I had to go to a woman’s homeless shelter. I arrived on Christmas Eve; though nobody was there since they were with their family. Since I never went back to “our house” I only had the bloody clothes that I wore to the hospital an nothing else!! This was also the first time publicly showing my face, which still had black eyes, cuts and a wired jaw. A sweet lady showed me to my room– asked if I’d be OK with being alone for the night and assured me that the sheriffs drive by hourly. I told her that I would be fine but the moment she left I collapsed on the bed and cried myself to sleep. With every day that passed I became more depressed but I had to figure out where to go from here. With the help of the woman from the shelter I applied for public assistance. This meant that I would have to participate in their job fair which consisted of classes Mon-Fri from 8am-4pm. These classes were designed to assist with resumes, job applications and getting you back on your feet. Here I was, almost 34 years old, scared, confused, and having to start over. I hadn’t even seen my kids to explain what had happened to mommy. Still, I knew that this was my 2nd chance, a chance many women and men don’t get!

I had been going to classes for about a week when my advisor called me into her office. Thinking to myself “Oh no, what now”, I was surprised when she told me she saw too much potential in me to continue to watch me take the classes. She then told me that BOCES was offering LPN classes which included compensation for gas to and from school, scrubs and course supplies–including books! Plus, as long as I kept up my attendance and grades, I could still receive financial assistance while getting my degree! I am proud to say that almost 1 year and 3 months to the day of my attack I graduated with my LPN!!! Then, after a year of being single and focusing on ME & my children, I met my soul mate! We were married 6 months later and now live in Syracuse New York where I work full time as a hospice (Alzheimer & Dementia) nurse. Months later, I still asked myself why me? What did I do to deserve this? I never did press charges against my ex and that’s one of the biggest mistakes of my life. But in the end, God has plans for us all. That horrible situation made me the woman that I am today. Today, I am a SURVIVOR. One day I stumbled across G.R.O.W and was so moved by this foundation that I had to share my story. A story that I almost wasn’t here to share. If my story saves one life then I’ve done my job.