2018 Domestic Violence Breakfast & Briefing to feature acid attack survivor Christy Sims
WHAT: 14th Annual Domestic Violence Breakfast & Briefing featuring domestic violence survivor Christy Sims. The event is presented each October (Domestic Violence Awareness Month) by the Hall County Domestic Violence Task Force. We are honored to have Ms. Sims share her incredible story of survival (more background below) as well as present our “Domestic Violence Officer of the Year.”
WHEN: Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2018
Breakfast opens, 7:45 a.m.; Briefing, 8:00 – 9:00 a.m.
WHERE: NEW LOCATION! Thurmond McRae Auditorium in Brenau University’s Trustee Library, 625 Academy Street N.E., Gainesville, GA 30501
COST: Free, open to the public. No RSVP is required, but seating is limited. Sponsored by Brenau University, Gateway Domestic Violence Center, Hall County Solicitor’s Office and McDonald’s.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
A native of Atlanta, Christy is a public speaker, an author, a nationally-certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor and a survivor of and advocate against domestic violence. She holds a Bachelor Degree in Marketing from Georgia Southern University and a Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Mercer University. Christy is also a member of the National Board of Certified Counselors, the American Counseling Association and Chi Sigma Iota National Counseling Honor Society.
Christy Sims is a devoted mother of two whose life was forever changed on April 28, 2013, when her ex-boyfriend severely disfigured her by dousing her with sulfuric acid. She sustained third and fourth degree burns to over 20 percent of her body, including her entire face, neck, chest and arms. After the incident, she remained in an induced coma for two months and endured numerous lifesaving surgeries at the Grady Burn Unit in Atlanta. She emerged from the coma with a resolve to survive, to return to her children and to pursue the prosecution of her abuser. Due to her diligence, her abuser was finally brought to justice on July 17, 2015 after a two-year fight.
Christy is the first reported case of an acid attack in the state of Georgia. To date, she has undergone 13 surgeries to reconstruct her disfigured face and body, and her personal struggle has propelled her to advocate and support other survivors of domestic violence. She has spoken out vigilantly about her experience via numerous public speaking engagements and media outlets, including V-103, WAOK,104.7, The Tom Joyner Morning Show, The Rickey Smiley Morning Show, Channel 2 Action News, Fox 5 Atlanta, CBS Channel 46, 11 Alive News, The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, The New York Daily News, Jet Magazine and Headline News.
Her story went international when she was featured on the award-winning Al Jazeera international news show “The Stream,” which reached 280 million viewers worldwide. She has also been featured innumerous blogs in the U.S. and internationally. Her story was featured on the T.D. Jakes Talk Show, Inside Edition, The Doctors, TBN and, most recently, People Magazine South Africa as well as The Guardian and Woman’s Own Magazine in the UK.
Christy’s story has touched the lives of millions around the world and possibly prevented other cases of domestic violence. She received the Fortitude Award on April 12, 2014, the Courage to Act Award on October 11, 2014, the Community Empowerment award and the Uplift Award for her work in advocating against domestic violence. In 2015, the Fulton County Commission honored her with the official Proclamation of April 25th as “Christy Sims Appreciation Day” in Fulton County, Georgia. Most recently, on August 21, 2017, Christy was recognized during the nationally televised Atlanta Braves baseball game as a Braves Community Hero.
The Christy Sims Foundation was founded in 2014 and is focused upon the prevention, education, and awareness of domestic violence. Christy’s memoir, “Yellow Tulips on A Cloudy Day: A Survivor’s Journal” was released in the fall of 2016.
www.christysims.org
