Surving A Knife Throught The Heart

For those of you who don’t know me my name is Dillon Callahan. For those of you who do know me your aware that I was stabbed. What most don’t know is that I was stabbed by a man that wasn’t only my best friend but my boyfriend of three years. After being separated for two years he became addicted to drugs. On the night of his birthday while on a walk he put a knife through my aorta. I have never felt a pain stronger then the pain of that betrayal. All I could say to him was “you stabbed me” his response was to laugh in my face a stab me a second time in the lung before walking away and leaving me to death. Not knowing the seriousness of the wounds I stood there debating if I wanted to live in a world where someone I loved with my entirety could do something so evil to me or to seek help and continue to live in a world I deemed cold. My chances of survival where far less then 1 percent. When death should have been instant I took that moment to make the decision that I could not choose to die because I made a promise to my dog Zelda Rose that I had no intentions of breaking. That promise was to take care of her until the day she died not abandon her. That promise gave me the strength to survive. While bleeding out from my aorta and with two collapsed lungs I walked two blocks for help. By the time i arrived to the operating room I had bled out 4 liters. I had emergency open heart surgery while simultaneously getting my lungs repaired. When I woke up from surgery not knowing any of this, my first words I spoke, “where is my dog”. I was walking the next day and out of the hospital within three days. I was discharged with out knowing to extent of my injuries because I didn’t want to accept what had happened. My only concern was getting home to Zelda. This has not only left me physically unable to work but has also mentally destroyed me. I lost my identity that night and was left to figure out who I was now. However despite all of this being stabbed didn’t make the rest of life stop. With a mountain of hospital bills and my regular bills I had no option but to continue on with life. Despite doctor orders within weeks of being released I went to work bartending one night a week trying to keep a roof over my head. Ive managed the best i could over the past few months but even with my best efforts I haven’t been able to over come the financial burden my injury. I’m not someone who has ever asked for a hand out from anyone so it’s not easy for me to do so now. I can’t offer anything in return other then the promise that I will not take for granted the second chance at life I have received.