Stabbing Victim and Paramedic Find Love After Brutal Attack
It was a situation that could have ended in a myriad of ways, but instead ended in romance. Melissa Dohme was stabbed 32 times by her ex-boyfriend and ended up in love with the paramedic who came to her rescue.
Cameron Hill responded to the 911 call that said Dohme had been stabbed by her ex-boyfriend, Robert Lee Burton Jr., 32 times. She was bleeding everywhere. There was something about her, though, that he couldn't get out of his head.
"I don't know why, but I knew I'd see her again. I believed she would live," Hill told The Tampa Bay Times. Dohme did survive, but not before needing resuscitation four times and suffering from a stroke. Afterwards, Dohme reunited with Hill when the two met at a local church.
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"I was weirdly giddy … I had this feeling about him. I didn't think it was possible. I didn't even want to like anyone," Dohme told The Times.
Both were shy and, even though it took some time to figure things out, the couple eventually decided to date.
"I couldn't ignore the feelings," Hill explained.
"It was a confusing time. It's been so long since I've liked someone," Hill told Dohme on their first date. "I don't know if I remember how to kiss a girl."
"Well," Dohme responded, "maybe you should try."
The two have been together ever since; they attend church together and recently dealt with the trial of Burton. Dohme was forced to testify about the tragic night, and Hill was by her side every step of the way. Burton faces charges of first-degree attempted murder as the trial continues.
"When I look back on that night," Dohme said, "I can't think of it as all bad anymore because I met Cameron. He's the one I've been waiting for … my fairy tale."
Of course, not all cases turn out so positively. First responders are generally not encouraged to get involved with the victims, as it could blur the lines between the two parties or be considered an emotional reaction to the trauma.
