Woman to marry firefighter who saved her life when she was stabbed 32 times by her ex-boyfriend

Melissa Dohme says she would not change what happened to her because it lead her to her fiance

A student who almost died when she was stabbed by her ex-boyfriend has spoken of how "blessed" she feels to be marrying one of the firefighters who saved her life.

“Today I just feel very blessed to be here," said Melissa Dohme, who was stabbed 32 times in the arms, face, hands and neck by Robert Lee Burton with a knife outside her home in Clearwater, Florida in January 2012.

"I know that the attack was just one day in my life and it will never define me.”

Following the horrific attack, Ms Dohme was airlifted to hospital where surgeons had to resuscitate her several times.

Just 20 at the time, she suffered a stroke from the loss of blood, as well as a broken jaw, fractured skull and facial paralysis from a severed nerve.

She later required several reconstructive surgeries from doctors in Boston and thought she would be “single for the rest of her life”.

Ms Dohme told the BBC that 19 of the 32 stab wounds "were to my head, neck and face so I didn't look like myself."

She said: "I was missing teeth. My hair was shaved because they had to stitch up wounds on my head. Half of my face was paralysed. I assumed I would be single for the rest of my life. I never thought anyone would want to date me because I was damaged and had all this baggage."

The 24-year-old nonetheless thought she could use her experiences to help others.

“I wanted to speak out to let people in abusive relationships know that they deserved to be loved and respected and valued," she said.

At a speaking event in October 2012 she met Cameron Hill, the firefighter-paramedic who took the 911 call. He invited her to dinner at the fire department.

She said they soon formed a relationship and he was by her side as she watched Burton receive a life sentence for the attack in August 2013.

Burton, who had been Ms Dohme’s high school boyfriend, attacked her because he was “jealous” and angry that she had left him.

Ms Dohme said she had noticed his behaviour changing when she started applying to universities, saying “he would belittle me and not want me to succeed”.

She said he would frequently lie but unleased an “explosive temper” when she challenged him.

Things finally came to a head in October 2011 when he attacked her while drunk.

She said: “He started hitting and punching me. I was able to break free and run away to call the police, who arrived and arrested him.

“He was charged with domestic battery and sentenced to 10 hours in jail. I thought I was finally free of him.”

Ms Dohme said she later saw on social media that he had a new girlfriend so she assumed he had moved on but on the night of the attack he called her at 2am asking her to see him.

She said: “He had gone to court that morning for the battery charge and said he needed closure from our terrible relationship and just wanted a hug. If I saw him just one more time he said would leave me alone forever.

Melissa Dohme says she has decided to dedicate her life to campaigning against domestic violence

“I didn't listen to my intuition telling me it was wrong, and that was the biggest mistake I ever made. I took my pepper spray and phone, thinking I could protect myself if I needed to.”

She said as soon as she appeared he began stabbing her with a switchblade before getting a bigger knife with a serrated blade from his truck to “get it finished”.

A few years after the attack she was invited to throw the first pitch at the Tampa Bay Rays baseball game in recognition of her campaigning work when she was surprised with a public proposal from Mr Hill.

The couple are due to marry in March and Ms Dohme said although she would not want to go through all that trauma again she would not change it because it “led her to Cameron”.