Olivia Neri

Hello everyone! ❤️ It’s honestly surreal to think about everything I’ve been through and how fortunate I am to still be here. I am currently in college studying criminal justice, and in my free time, I enjoy watching police body cam footage and true crime videos. It’s a very strange feeling to come across articles about my own experience and see something so personal discussed publicly. Sometimes it’s hard to wrap my head around everything, but I am incredibly proud of myself and grateful to be here today. Going through this experience has given me an entirely new perspective on life. I am so grateful for the strength I found within myself, and I will never take for granted the opportunity to continue living, growing, and experiencing everything life has to offer. Initially, I wanted to create this GoFundMe to help spread awareness and share my story. It is heartbreaking to see how much violence exists in the world, especially when something that began with good intentions can have such a profound impact on someone’s life. Despite everything, I still want to be the loving, caring, and empathetic person I have always been. I know that moving forward, I will be more mindful of my surroundings and continue to trust my instincts. Although this has been an incredibly difficult time for me and my loved ones, there has also been so much love and kindness throughout this experience. I truly believe there can be light even during the darkest times, and the support I have received from my community has reminded me of that in ways I cannot fully express. I am beyond grateful for every person who has donated, shared my story, sent prayers, or reached out with kind words. So many people, including individuals I have never met or barely know, have taken the time to support me. That means more to me than words could ever describe. I am especially thankful to the civilians who stepped in to help, the police officers, firefighters, paramedics, and the incredible doctors and nurses who cared for me. I will always be grateful to the people who helped me during such a critical time. Knowing that so many people came together to help is something I will carry with me forever. I wish I could personally reach out to every single person who has supported me and express my gratitude individually. Unfortunately, with everything I am navigating and the long road to recovery ahead of me, that is not possible right now. I wanted to share this update so that everyone knows just how much your kindness, generosity, and support mean to me. This experience has reminded me that although there is cruelty in the world, there is also so much goodness, compassion, and love. I am incredibly thankful that I have the opportunity to continue my life, make memories, and appreciate the moments that I may have once taken for granted. There are so many little things I miss, like dancing and moving freely to my favorite music. Before all of this, I never imagined how much I would miss the simplest everyday activities. I look forward to continuing my recovery and, with time, hopefully returning to more of the things I love. For now, I am taking everything one day at a time. I know I have a long journey ahead of me, but I am grateful for every day and every step forward. Above all, I am thankful to be alive and to have the opportunity to keep moving forward. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who has donated, shared my story, sent prayers, or supported me and my loved ones in any way. Your kindness has made a difference in my life, and I am more grateful than you will ever know. For the time being, I plan on keeping my GoFundMe open as I continue navigating my recovery and everything that comes with it. If you have already donated or shared my story, please know how incredibly grateful I am. If you are able to continue sharing my GoFundMe with others, I would truly appreciate it. Every share helps my story reach more people, and every bit of support means so much to me and my loved ones during this time. Thank you for continuing to stand by me as I focus on healing and taking things one day at a time. ~ Livv ❤️