Holly: I should be dead

Holly: "I haven’t slept in days. I can’t. I keep tossing and turning in bed, and my whole body hurts, to begin with. But even more than that, if I do manage to get into a comfortable position for a minute, I just keep replaying everything and seeing that video. I finally watched the video of when I got knocked out, and it was like seeing myself dead for a moment. And that just makes me think: what would my kids’ and my family’s life be like right now if my soul hadn’t stayed in my body?

So no, I’m not okay, but thank you all for helping me with your prayers and your love, because that’s what’s getting me out of bed. And that’s what’s pushing me to make sure this doesn’t happen to anyone else. Because I’m a mom, and I would never want this to happen to my children. I wouldn’t want this to happen to my mother. I’m someone’s sister. My brother has been by my side, and I could see the horror on his face. So I don’t want anyone else to go through this, because it’s not just me who’s suffering. It’s my family, it’s my kids, it’s my mom, my brother, my aunt, my uncle — everyone who loves me. They’re suffering too, because I…

Honestly, I don’t even know how I’m not dead. I mean, I should be dead. It wasn’t just that I was knocked unconscious — I hit the cement in a way that could’ve caused a brain bleed.

Yeah, they said that 25% of the time, people die instantly when they hit their head like that. And then there’s a 25 to 40% chance I could’ve gone into a coma and ended up a vegetable for the rest of my life. And if the guy had hit me just three inches lower with his fist, he would’ve killed me instantly too, because it would’ve hit my trachea or whatever.

And then, just because of the media and everything going on, I’ve been forced to watch it. And then the doctors have to play it and watch it. And the lawyers... I have a legal team, you know? And we have to go through it over and over again like it’s a football replay.

And just hearing all the ways I should have died or should be a vegetable right now… I just think that God has a purpose for me, and that’s the only reason I’m still here."

Holly, the victim of the Cincinnati attack, breaks her silence: still alive by a miracle and in hiding for safety

Holly, the woman who was brutally beaten in a street fight that went viral in Cincinnati, has finally spoken publicly about what happened. Her testimony is harrowing: she revealed that she suffers from a serious traumatic brain injury, in addition to deep physical and emotional trauma. Since the attack, she hasn’t been able to sleep properly or return to a normal life. She has had to be hospitalized multiple times and, due to threats she has received, has been forced to go into hiding outside the city, currently living in a “top-secret location” under private security.

In her own words, she confessed that she “literally doesn’t know how she’s not dead,” as doctors explained to her that the kind of blow she took to the head causes instant death in 25% of cases. Even a slight shift in the impact could have resulted in death from asphyxiation or irreversible brain hemorrhage. Holly said that watching the video of the moment she was knocked out was like “watching herself die for a moment,” and now she has to deal with the trauma of replaying that footage over and over again as part of the legal and medical process. Her lawyers, doctors, and even the media have had to watch it repeatedly.

In addition to her physical and emotional suffering, Holly denounced the harmful role of certain media outlets, which have contributed to distorting the facts or downplaying the severity of the attack, forcing her to relive the incident constantly. She stated that her family is also deeply affected: her children, her mother, her brother, her aunt, and her close circle have all had to witness her suffering and fear for her life.

The case has sparked widespread reaction. So far, six people have been arrested for their involvement in the attack, including Patrick Rosemond, Montianez Merriweather, Jermaine Matthews, DeKyra Vernon, Dominique Kittle, and Aisha Devaughn. The charges include aggravated assault and participating in violent riots. The brutality of the incident has been so shocking that Ohio Senator Bernie Moreno has proposed new legislation called “Holly’s Act,” aimed at toughening penalties for violent crimes and increasing bail requirements to prevent dangerous offenders from being easily released.

The community has also shown strong support. A fundraising campaign on GiveSendGo has already surpassed $350,000, with contributions from thousands of people, including former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. Holly, who is a mother and a sister, said that the love and prayers from people are the only thing getting her out of bed each day, giving her a reason to keep fighting. She expressed that she has regained part of her faith in humanity thanks to this massive support and believes that God has a purpose for her.

The Holly case has not only shocked America due to its violence, but also because of the social, legal, and political implications it has triggered. Her story has become a symbol of the growing national concern over the rise of urban violence and the impunity of certain offenders, as well as the role of the media in shaping public perception of such tragedies.