Who is Sally Schmidt?
Sally Schmidt is an artist and a personal assistant. She is a jewelry maker, a talented designer, a licensed dog trainer, and an animal rescuer. She is a warm, generous , and caring person but without any family support. Sally is 30 years old. On October 28, 2012, Sally was beaten and robbed, and her life has been a nightmare ever since.
Who we are:
We are friends of Sally’s—fellow artists, fellow New Yorkers, who remember the vibrant, lovely artist of less than a year ago, and who want to help her find that person within herself again. She is a strong, independent woman, but life has dealt her a wicked beat-down, and we want to pick her up and dust her off because, sadly, she cannot do it on her own.
What Happened:
The night of her attack Sally hailed a cab in Jersey City and asked to be taken home to Greenpoint in Brooklyn. Shortly before they reached Sally’s home the car stopped abruptly and the male driver attacked and robbed her. He beat her and took her money, her phone, and all her belongings. She tried to escape, but before she could get out of the car completely the driver sped off in order to leave the crime scene quickly, unfortunately dragging Sally half in, half out of the car door. Beautiful Sally had her nose broken, her teeth shattered, and she had cuts and abrasions all over her face. She had a sprained knee, she was in shock, and she had no phone with which to call for help. Sally suffered under a very heavy concussion which also caused loss of her short term memory which took her a few months to recover from. It was very hard for her to orient herself in the city. Simple things like taking the subway became very hard to manage suddenly.
And her torture was only beginning. The Police of the 94th Precinct tried to find the robber, but the attack happened the day before Hurricane Sandy made landfall, and they were soon overwhelmed. The driver has never been identified.
When Sally came home from hospital, her face was badly damaged. Her nose has been so badly broken that she still has trouble breathing. She could not walk for 2 months. The physical damage Sally has suffered does not compare to the psychological damage she has had to endure. She was a beautiful woman before the accident, and now has a deformed body and face, and a fear of the city.
Sally has no medical insurance since Health Insurance Companies don't take Indiduals in NY state. Because of the robbery and the violence she was subjected to, she was unable to work for several months and she has been unable to attract new clients. Her debt is massive. She owes $11,211.46 for the ambulance and hospital care. Her dentistry bill came to $ 9,750. She will need between $7,000 and $10,000 to rebuild her nose so she can breathe properly again. There is no way to pay for this. On top of the bills, she lost $8,000 worth of work. All told the brutal attack on this beautiful girl is costing her $30,000—so far.
This Campaign:
Sally is not the kind of person who would go out and ask people for help, but we convinced her to come on Indiegogo and make a plea for help. Please help Sally pay her medical bills so that she can get on her feet again. We have set this campaign at $20,000, but we are hoping to raise-more—enough so that Sally can clear all her debts and get the physical therapy she will need to fully recover. Please contribute to Sally’s campaign. Any little bit will give Sally hope again and help her recover from this horrible incident. We want to take the time to thank you for your kindness and compassion.
We don’t have much to give in return, but Sally will give a pair of own designed "Victorian" inspired loop earrings to anybody who donates $275 and up.
All of the funds raised will go towards helping Sally cope with this life changing event. Your support will give Sally her "normal" life back and end her sleepless nights. Paying these bills and getting her surgery will allow Sally to forget this terrible attack and to live again. Please share this story with your friends and tell them to share it with others. Sally wants to thank you so much for your support and she wants you to know she appreciates your kindness!
