When Florida emergency medical technician Cameron Hill arrived at the scene of a domestic violence attack, he saved the life of a young woman – in more ways than one.
Melissa Dohme had been attacked by her boyfriend, stabbed a horrifying 32 times, and left for dead. It was the breaking point in an abusive relationship that had lasted years. When Cameron Hill rushed to the scene, she was on the verge of death.
Melissa was so covered in blood “you couldn’t tell she was blonde”.
But it wasn’t the end for her. Cameron was on the scene, and managed to save her life, despite 32 stab wounds, a skull fracture and a seizure.
Cameron saved her life, delivered her to the hospital and walked back to his ambulance to continue his shift – but he knew he would see her again.
“At the time, she was real bloody,” said Hill, “I, for some reason, didn’t think it was the last time I would see her.”
And it wasn’t.
Melissa underwent speech and physical therapy for her nerve damage, but remains partially paralyzed. But after months in hospital, Melissa and Cameron crossed paths again, and Cameron was determined for it not to be the last time.
He invited Melissa and her mother out to dinner at the fire station he also volunteers at.
“He put out a red carpet and had her try on all these uniforms,” said a close friend of Cameron’s, “Right away, there was a strong connection between them.”
After that, Dohme kept making excuses to go and see him at the fire station, sometimes talking for five hours or more.
Since then, the two had been dating steadily.
Dohme has worked for years to get her life back from the man who had tried to take it from her, and on Monday she got engaged to the man who gave it back.
Hill took Melissa to a baseball game in Florida, where he had arranged for her to throw the first pitch.
But, before she could do so, Hill got down on one knee and handed her a ball that read ‘will you marry me?’
Without hesitating, Dohme accepted.
After jumping around, and kissing her new fiancé, Dohme threw the first pitch of the game – with a brand new sparkler on her finger.
Dohme has come a long way from that night, where she laid on her front garden, thinking she was going to die. She has earned two degrees, and works as a full-time domestic violence advocate. It wasn’t an easy path, but it was one that Melissa got to walk – thanks to Cameron.
“My message to any woman that’s in an abusive relationship is that you’re not alone and there is a better life after abuse,” said Dohme, “You deserve to be loved and respected, and never, never should a man lay a hand on you. And it’s not acceptable by any means.”
“I am not a victim of domestic violence. I am a survivor of domestic violence,” Dohme said, “I can finally move on. This book is closed.”
And another one has just opened.
