October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Read and share stories to honor survivors whose lives have been changed by domestic violence.

239,502
total hearts received for Moments That Survive

Tom Bissonette

YoungAndWiser, Inc.

I worked the late shift and stopped to eat on the way home. After leaving, I was ambushed – a gun pointed at my head. The robber ordered me to drop my wallet and walk away.

After I got about 30 feet from him, I heard the gunshot and felt it rip through my skin on the right side of my back. I knew I was hit but had no idea how badly. I made a split-second decision to act as if I wasn’t wounded. I believed that if he knew he hit me he might feel more inclined to finish the job. Terrified, but relieved, I heard him drive away.

I was bleeding, and I called for help. When I arrived at the ER, they told me that if the bullet had been even a quarter-inch to the left, it would have entered my chest cavity and destroyed vital organs. It’s a miracle I survived.

I suffered from PTSD for years, and my family suffered too. I eventually decided I would not let this incident control my life. I don’t live in fear anymore, but I’ll never forget. Some bullets ricochet in hearts and minds forever.

Reacting shows support for gun violence survivors.

239,502