Help Shannon get back to Good Health

Hello my name is Shannon LeComte.  On Monday, June 21, 2020 at exactly 2:29am, in celebration of Father's Day, I was sitting outside the Exchange Street PATH Station as the Jersey City community were lighting fireworks.  With any fireworks display, there were a lot of loud noises and loud bangs.  I was thinking about my children:  Shane (son/13) and Alexis (daughter/12) and I didn't realize that my life was about to change forever.

I became an innocent bystander in a shooting, sitting on a bench in my community and was hit by more than 5 stray bullets. It took approximately 22 minutes for the Jersey City Police Department, and Emergency Services, to respond to the scene.  The lights went out and I was in a coma, at Jersey City Medical Center for four months and one day.  My body has endured more than 20+ surgeries.  My Mother spent many days/nights by my side, along with several friends and family.  There were a tremendous amount of prayers headed in my direction and I believe that is the reason that I woke again.

By the grace of God, also as a result of the tireless effort of my surgical Team, led by Dr. Anroy Ottley (Head Surgeon), I was given another chance at life.  When I came out of the coma I didn't know where I was or what happened.  I don't remember 4 months and a day of my life.  Dr. Ottley was there when I woke, along with my Mother.  He told me to relax, that a lot has transpired and he explained in detail, what happened.  As I was told, i was hit by a .45 caliber bullet that went into 

my right chest, above my heart and the bullet went out my back.  I was hit by a 9mm bullet in my left chest, above my heart and the bullet went out my back.  Dr. Ottley described how at least two bullets, unknown calibers, riddled by stomach and destroyed my intestines.  Dr. Ottley's Team had to cut me open (as seen in the pictures that we provided to me when I woke) big enough to remove all of my intestines.  He had to cut out over 5 feet of my large intestines.  An ileostomy bag now acts as a repository for the food that my body tries to digest but isn't able to.  I've had to make significant changes in my life and learn how to walk again twice, after two major major surgeries.  I can't drink water anymore, like normal people do for hydration because it goes right through me and flushes out the nutrition i need.  So I must drink Propel Waters or Gatorade (both more expensive then just water at the stores) for the added nutrition.

I came out of the hospital homeless, with a serious disability and in a wheelchair.  Against all odds, I honestly don't know how I continue everyday but I feel God has a plan for me.  Recently, a stranger heard my story and has taken an interest in helping me.  As many people have. he has shown me that I'm special and he told me that my story has "saved his life" and that in speaking to me, that "he is changing who he is as a human being".  That he has made some poor decisions in life and now wants to "put out goodness into the world, starting by helping me."  This man, who I now call my brother, offered to put me up at a Westin Jersey City and then at the Courtyard by Marriott, Jersey City.  Everything happened so quickly, that before I could know what was going on, he decided to use 400,000 of his accrued Marriott Bonvoy points to house me until my Social Security Income was approved.  Without these random acts of kindness, I would not be standing here today.  The below picture was me and my new friend out to lunch at our favorite restaurant in Jersey City.