A young 34-year old friend of mine was shot TWICE in the face around 2 Wednesday morning by an ex-boyfriend. She stopped dating him about six months ago and had begun dating another young man. The jilted boyfriend lived in another state and had never been to her home. She lives in my hometown and works with my sister at the dentist office. A beautiful young woman, inside and out.

The ex-boyfriend called her two days ago and said another girlfriend had stopped seeing him and if Heather wouldn't see him, he was going to kill himself. She begged him to get help. He refused. He asked her where she lived, (she was living in a new place) and she refused to tell him. He got on MAPQUEST and found her home, went in and shot her once in the face...when she ran out into the parking lot, he followed and shot her again.

She had been on a cell phone to a girlfriend right before he arrived and saw him coming. She hide in her closet and whispered to the friend that she thought he meant to harm her. He broke into the apartment, and started searching for her, and she ran out of th closet. That's when he shot her the first time. Then again in the parking lot. When the cell lost the connection, the friend called her brother who was nearby and told him to get over there. He did and the police did as well. The gunman was crouching behind a car and when he saw them, he ran back into the apartment and killed himself.

Heather is fighting for her life and it is touch and go. While a machine is breathing for her now, there is hope. The doctors believe that there is NO brain damage and that she may even be able to see (one of the bullets went into her eye). However she is facing multiple surgeries, 3 or 4 at least. One shot when thru the bone between the eyes and the other one went through her neck and came out through her jaw, shattering it.

My sister told me that the doctors said they would have to literally disassemble her face and rebuild it.

I need your prayers for Heather. Any and all of them. She did not deserve this! You will not meet a kinder, more loving person.

Please join me in praying for Heather to recover. I know God is weeping tonight. I know I am too.

Oh my God, JJ. Please know that I'll pray for your friend Heather, and I'll light a candle for her. This is so shocking beyond words. To bad the x killed himself, he should have suffered a long time in prison, I mean suffered.

Oh no, how horrifying. We hear about these things, but when it happens to someone you know it's even worse. We are with her, JJ, everyone of us!

Although we've already talked about this I want you to know I'm still praying.

Sounds like this guy had some very serious mental health issues and went off the deep end. How awful that he had to try and take her down with him.

Know that I'm sending love her way and will continue to.

I am so, so, so very sorry to hear this, JJ. Heather will, of course, be in my prayers and my heart. Please let us know how she is doing. This breaks my heart and please, know, that I am sending so much positive energy her way.

I don't even know what to say about this.
It's horrifying.
My prayers are with that young woman and her family.

This is such a tragic thing to happen to your friend, JJ. Heather will surely be in my prayers.

No word yet today. My sister is staying around the clock at the hospital and she's going to let me know. They have to wait until some of the swelling goes down in her face before they can make the long-range forecast for her operations. At least she is still alive, and with hope.

Thank you all so much...from our lips to God's ears. Surely.

JJ

JJ, I was reading about this in the Times Daily. What a horrible thing to have happened to Heather. I am saying prayers for her.

chick

My prayers as well for Heather and everyone involved.

JJ, I am praying for her. Please let her family know that we are all praying for her.

I am keeping her in my prayers and in my heart. What a dreadful thing to happen. I pray she finds peace and healing.

As our friend Danita has shared in the past...as long as there is breath there is hope. Count me in. I'm praying for all involved including the doctors and family members who must have tremendous decisions to make.

God help the mentally ill too.

JJ,
I'm praying for Heather as well and for all who love her!

Oh J.J., how sad. Please count me in for daily prayers as well.

This kind of thing boggles the mind. Why can't these insane fools just kill themselves? That dam Mapquest and any other site like it that puts our personal data out there for all to see, needs to be "held accountable." I hope her relatives sue the crap out of them......

This is so tragic. My prayers are with Heather.

Another guy coming back as a cockroach. Dang, no wonder there are so many bugs.

Good way to look at it Meredith!

JJ, I'm still praying.

I'm hoping no news is good news?
Still praying.

As you say jj their still hope, she's alive and a good soul as you say. It be tough for her to recover but with help support and the grace of god she be able to do it.....the world needs good people. praying for you all

celtic_flame

I know this is probably no help but I worked with a woman who was shot three times by her husband. Twice in the head and once in the wrist. She survived. Yes, she has some disabilities but if you didn't know what happened, you wouldn't be able to guess. There is always hope--there is always prayer.

JJ? Here's sending you a hug for this very trying time.

Hey girls...I've been MIA (missing in action) for a bit. Anyway, news so far is that Heather has no chin or jawbone. They will be building this from scratch. Can you even imagine? I know I cannot. However, there is so many wonderful people praying for her (including you all) and by the grace of God she will be healed.

My sister told me that yesterday she even managed to sit up in bed. Oh my. I just can't fathom the road ahead for her. She has youth and prayer on her side. I'd say that's a good combination. Wouldn't you?

I'll try to get more details as we go along. I was unable to go to the hospital yesterday as my grandbeauties have been sick again and of course, I had to be the martyr and go take care of them. I think their Mommy/Daddy are so thankful to have help and since both were running such high fevers, (105) I simply HAD to make sure they broke the fevers. Happy to say they did.

I'm home today so I hope I can go and visit Heather this afternoon. I'll report back either way because there are friends and love ones surrounding her constantly and we are in touch daily.

Thank you all for being so supportive of a total stranger. But then again, it's what you do as loving and kind people, and as my sister. I love you all dearly!

Thanks for the update JJ.
No, I can't imagine the things you are telling us but I am praying like mad for her to recover and be able to be restored.
Glad to hear the babies fevers broke! 105 is high!

JJ, sorry to hear about the babies. Glad to hear you nursed them back to health.

Heather does have a long road ahead of her. Maybe we will be reading her book someday. Not the time to suggest that to her but if she's hospital bound for a long time, I'd bring it up. We will keep her in prayer.

Dianne,an aquaintance of mine was shot by her husband. He waited for her in the church parking lot. She said all the time they were married, he never laid a hand on her. Strange, huh?

chick

Chick, some of these guys (and women too) can't stand it when their partner leaves them. This is when a woman is at the greatest risk.

I hope Heather can get counseling because I'm sure she's going to have a severe case of PTSD to deal with on top of her physical recovery. Maybe you or your sister could contact a social worker within the hospital to get her started.

Bless her heart. How tragic but she's alive! Hallelujah...she's still alive!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh my gracious, what a terrible thing. It is amazing what people do. Sounds like the fact that she is alive is already a miracle. I guess all we can do is pray for the miracle of a full recovery.

Having had PTSD myself I hope she not only gets talk therapy and/or medication, but also EMDR. It sounds hokey, but EMDR works. Prayer does too.

smile

Smile, I had EMDR also and there is nothing hokey about it. EMDR is a bona fide therapeutic tool based on scientific research of the brain and how it stores memories. Counselors have to go through a lot of training to be EMDR certified. JJ, I had no idea you were going through all of this PLUS your sick grandbeauties. OMG this is just too terrible about your friend Heather. Why couldn't he have just turned the bullet(s) onto himself and spared her misery? It's amazing that she is alive, but I am so sorry for all that she will be dealing with.

Update - Heather's surgery begins tomorrow. Her face is completely flat as she has no jawbone and no chin. She cannot talk, of course, and is being fed through a tube. But her attitude is one that is simply unbelievable. She is ready to fight and survive. She is grateful to be alive and wants everyone to know it. She said she was very sad that this young man shot and killed himself and prays for him. What a heart. My sister and I gave Heather one of my journals, "The Complete Writer's Journal" and she immediately started writing in it and told us that she planned to write in it every day. Bless her heart. It is her only way of communicating.

I'll post more as I have updates. Thank you all for keeping her in your prayers. The road is long, but our hearts and prayers are steady.

Thanks for letting us know. What a spirit Heather has.

I agree with Dianne, Heather's spirit is amazing. I don't think I'd be as generous with my prayers.

heathers got a great soul to be praying for this chap already, i glade to hear she got a fighting spirite. A real insperasion

celtic_flame

JJ..how awful for all concerned!! Heather sounds like a fighter and all our thoughts and prayers will be with her..as Hannalore said once 'the power of forum prayer'.

Popea

JJ, Any news of Heather's surgery?
I hope she becomes a walking miracle of beauty. A billboard proclaiming God's glory.
What a horrible thing. What is happening to our world? And to the people in it?

smile

Yes, I'd love an update too.

Actually TODAY (Friday) begins the string of surgeries. They are going to build her a jaw/chin, and reattach her tongue. They are also going to reset her eyes. I've never heard of that but my sister explained it in detail. I won't go into the particulars right now. Heather doesn't have any bone left to allow her to have teeth, or dentures, I should say, so I don't know what they are going to do to enable her to have some, even implants, but the good news is that she works for a dentist, MY DENTIST, and he is the best in the world, so I'm sure they will work it out somehow. He is also a surgeon for some things so I know she is in capable hands.

I would appreciate more prayers today for Heather as she goes through all of this. I thank you in advance for giving of your time and self to her.

My sister and I are talking about hosting some kind of benefit for her since she will be out of work for about a year. Her benefits and the money that's been raised so far will see her through about six months worth, plus what Doc (the dentist) is paying (you wouldn't believe it! He is wonderful)....but there's still more therapy, time off work, etc...anyway, I'll let you know if we come up with something AND what it is...

You better believe I will be praying for her.

Thanks for the update JJ.
I'll be praying along with you.
That is such a nice idea about the benefit. You and your sister are angels to do that !
I still can't get over the amount of damage she has lived through. God bless her!

JJ, does Heather have a family that can take care of her? What a wonderful idea to organize a benefit. Maybe even an on-line fundrasing page would be good. The poor thing will need every support in every way. She's in my prayers as well.

Thanks for the update. How is Heather doing, emotionally? And the rest of her family and friends? And how are you doing?
While I know it is really to early to know, but I just want you to know that we are all here for all of you way beyond the physical part of the story.

I'm glad you all asked about her family. While her Mom and Dad were divorced a long time ago, and her Dad remarried after that, it seems that he has recently divorced. So what Mom and Dad have done for Heather is get apartments, almost side-by-side and one will take care of her needs during the day, while the other takes the nighttime. How cool is that? These are parents who love her deeply and will do anything for her. She had tons of friends who feel the same way.

If you would like to see what Heather looks like, go here http://www.cosmeticdentistryshoals.com/about/staff.php she is the first person standing on the back row on the left. Isn't she adorable?

My sister is the person sitting on the front row with her legs crossed and her hand on her leg (on the left as well).

A fund has been set up at the local bank for her and the radio/TV stations are all broadcasting (for free) where to send money. I'll let you know what kind of idea my sister Amy and I come up with. I told her we should have either a walk-a-ton, a bake/book sale and the proceeds go to Heather, or something where people can participate. Anyway, we'll see.

Thank you all for caring so much. I am so grateful for your prayers!

Both Heather and your sister are adorable.

Thanks for the update and thank God for her wonderful parents and friends. She is a very lucky girl, in so many ways.

Thanks for putting a face to her name, JJ.
Both girls are gorgeous.
She is lucky to have such a loving family and friends.
(Still praying)

Heather and your sister are both beautiful.

There is a fund for crime victims in some states. Maybe you could check that out. Sometimes a bank can help with publicity on television, etc. and will set up an account for contributions. Of course a benefit would be wonderful. If I can help, count me in.

Here is a website of sources of help to victims of domestic abuse.

http://www.three-peaks.net/annette/Abused%20Resources.htm

The program to provide free plastic surgery for victims of domestic abuse is:

http://www.aafprs.org/media/humanitarian/m_ffviolence.html

I'm sure Dianne can be of help too. And of course boomers is the site for support and prayer. I'm sure a lot of both will be coming heather's way.

smile

I just read this and want you to know that I am praying for Heather as well. I'll keep checking in on her progress.
Kate

How about an update JJ. Have you seen her lately?
chick

I am bringing this back up in hopes of an update. JJ? Do you have a few minutes (I know you are a very busy lady these days) to update us?