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In hearing the story of Jennifer Shuitt, I was struck by her incredible resilience. As a child, she was
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kidnapped, assaulted, and left in a field to die. Her attacker slashed her throat, intent on silencing her. But as
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Jennifer would later say, he picked the wrong little 45b 8-year-old girl to try and murder.
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[Music] After being airlifted to the hospital, Jennifer's wound made it impossible for
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her to speak. There was concern she might never be able to talk again. To go from an 8-year-old little girl who
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thought she could sing like Mariah Carey, Daisy, Daisy, to being silenced, it was really devastating and
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frustrating. But where there's a will, there is a way. I remember wanting a chocolate bar
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from the gift shop and being told no and trying to call for my one of my uncles to get me my chocolate bar. In the
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process of my frustration and trying to say my uncle's name, a sound came out and it was just
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like the world stopped for a moment. I proved everyone wrong. I like to say I haven't shut up
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since. And Jennifer used her voice to help police find the man who did this to her.
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It took almost 20 years. But Jennifer, with the help of two dedicated law enforcement professionals, got the job
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done. With the case finally closed, Jennifer is now a fierce advocate for other crime survivors. And to this day,
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she remains close to those who helped her through the darkest chapter of her life.