Andrea: Welcome, Ebony. Can you please share a little bit of background about your story, and why you shared it publicly online?
Ebony: I am a 36 year old widow from Cleveland, Ohio and mother of four beautiful children with quite a story to tell! I'm a Survivor of many things such as rape, molestation, domestic violence, losing my husband at a young age, and most recently my "Survival Story." On June 30th 2012, I was with family enjoying my birthday weekend, only to return my sister's home and find trouble waiting on us. Once arriving there around 2 A.M. we noticed a car with 5 females in my sister's driveway. They were asked to leave but they refused to leave the driveway. This resulted in an altercation that I was trying to prevent by being the peace maker, but during this attempt I was struck by one of the females, which resulted in me defending myself and my family helping. There were 4 of us and 5 females. After the altercation was broken up, these 5 females got into their car, which they finally removed out of the driveway before the altercation, only to back into a driveway across the street. The driver hit me head on, dragging my body that was folded in half up under their car for almost 200 feet, as my family chased the barely moving car. They fled the scene after my body was released. The only reason my lifeless body was released from up under the car is because they turned a corner!
I was in the hospital for 4 months, spending 2 of them in an induced coma. I suffered multiple injuries including a broken leg and pelvis, dislocated spine (which all have rods and screws in them) a fractured shoulder and jaw, 7 broken ribs, a collapsed lung, my entire back had road burn and needed a skin graph, missing teeth, I nearly bit my tongue off, and the lower left side of my face was peeled up and of course both had to be sewn back on. I also had a small amount of blood on my brain, a hole on my right side that my doctor described as "the size of a shark bite," and scars from head to toe.
I wasn't expected to live and if I did I was expected to possibly be a vegetable, or maybe even paralyzed. But it's now almost 2 years later and I'm here today by the Grace of God to tell my story! I had to learn to do everything again. I am still learning to walk again, but I will be walking real soon trust me! LOL! I still can't feel my feet fully but feeling is coming back slowly but surely. I'm walking with the assistance of a cane, but that will soon be going in the trash. I know this because I have faith in a God that has the final say so on everything! That is the reason I decided to share my story. I wanted the world to see what God had done in my life, and I knew that doing that would help so many people who had lost hope in all types of situations. Therefore, I created my social media pages, never expecting it to reach as many people as it has, but I'm grateful that it has touched so many people.
Andrea: What sparked the idea to write a book?
Ebony: I've always been the type of person to help other people. I knew that my story could help somebody, simply because I've been through so many things and I'm still standing. I decided that writing a book would be the perfect way to help people. I could tell my story and inspire and uplift people all at the same time...and that works for me!
Andrea: Having 30,000 Instagram followers tells us that you're connecting with people authentically. You created
http://thesurvivalstory.org and started your t-shirt line, too. What would you tell anyone about starting over in life after experiencing great difficulty?
Ebony: Well I actually started my page to first give God the Glory and honor he deserves for giving me a second chance at life, and I knew that all else would follow after that. When I speak of all else I'm referring to him sending someone my way who may have needed to read my post that particular day. Some of those people have had to start over after experiencing great difficulties in life. I would tell those people to trust in God in all that he takes from your life and all that he replaces in your life. Every single thing happens for a reason and you have to take from those situations and get strength from them, not let them weaken you! And you absolutely can't give up no matter what!
Andrea: You were a widow raising 4 children at the time of your attack. Do you have any thoughts about violence in our society, and what may need to happen as we continue to address it?
Ebony: The violence in our society has been a problem and will continue to be a problem, until we unite and take a stand against it! There has to be stiffer punishments. If criminals continue to get a smack on the wrist for the crimes they commit, then they won't be afraid to be a repeat offender. People tend to do things not thinking of the consequences of their actions nor the affect they're going to have on the lives of other people. And I believe if stiffer punishments are handed down this will give people a reason to think before they act.
Andrea: In addition to surviving a brutal attack, you earned your GED in your 20's and became a college student in your 30's. How will you book speak to dealing with hardship and adversity? Would you consider it to be motivational or autobiographical?
Ebony: Because I've been through so many different situations and I've overcome so much adversity and hardship, I speak on dealing with it throughout the book. We can't control what happens to us, but we can control how we deal with it. I'm a firm believer in that, and I show that in my book as well as speak on it, which is why I would have to say that my book is actually a combination of both. It's a motivational autobiography. LOL!
Andrea: Please share two missions of your nonprofit?
Ebony: The mission of my nonprofit organization is to share our stories in hopes to empower and uplift not only Survivors but regular people who may want to give up! Because I have survived so many different ordeals, there are so many different types of people that I can help. I would like to open centers around the country that gives Survivors a place to go and just vent and have support from others who have been through similar situations. Also, when I came home from the hospital, there was no help for me financially. Therefore, I would like to be that help that survivors need after coming home to a life altering situation.
Andrea: When and where can your book be purchased?
Ebony: My book "Left For Dead" is now available on Kindle, Nook & Amazon and will be available on iBook and in all major bookstores the week of Feb. 10th, 2014.
Andrea: Please share the best way to keep up with you online.
Ebony:
Instagram/Twitter: @survival_story
Facebook Fan Page: Survival Story
Survival Story Tees: www.survivalstorytees.bigcartel.com
