Student speaks out after being found ‘not breathing’ for 23 minutes with grim injuries
Topics: Education, Health, Mental Health, US News
Poppy Bilderbeck
Featured Image Credit: Facebook/LEX18
Topics: Education, Health, Mental Health, US News
A Kentucky college student has opened up about being found badly injured and unable to breathe in her dorm room.
On November 27 2023, Isabella Willingham was found by her roommate in her dorm room in all-female dorm Glide-Crawford Residence Hall at private Christian establishment Asbury University, Kentucky.
The 21-year-old was unresponsive and severely injured, but had no recollection as to how she ended up in such a way, with police remaining stumped too.
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The Asbury University student - who has since left the university - was discovered with multiple bruises and deep cuts on her body.
Her dorm roommate found her and she was immediately rushed to hospital, with paramedics telling Isabella's parents she'd stopped breathing for 23 minutes.
Her family added she woke to find eight of her acrylic nails were also missing, but still had no idea what had happened to her.
The Jessamine County Sheriff's Office launched an investigation into the former student's injuries, with sheriff Kevin Grimes telling NBC News: "It’s 100 percent baffling what happened to this young lady.
"In some way, shape, form or fashion, she’s a victim just like anybody else.… We 100 percent believe something happened; we just don’t know what."
And Isabella has since spoken out about the ongoing ordeal.
In an interview with NBC News, the young woman expressed her gratitude to the 'first responders' on the scene 'who didn't give up,' but also said she believes she's alive because 'God spared' her.
And that in doing so, she has a mission to 'now bring to light the safety issues on campus,' adding students 'definitely need way more protection than they're getting'.
She continued: "I want what happened to me to draw attention to the fact that Asbury needs more cameras on all of their exits and entryways."
Isabella believes if there had been more cameras on the site then 'the people who attacked [her], more than likely, would have been caught'.
And she's also spoken out about her theories of who could be behind the attack.
Isabella believes it was 'probably a group of girls' who left her in the condition she was discovered in - as the college have strict rules about when men can enter all-female dorms.
"I barely talked to anyone. I knew like three people on campus. Like, I never left my room," she continues. "I just feel like it was girls because I only knew girls."
Despite this, police have yet to publicly announce any person or persons of interest in their investigation and Grimes says any potential critical witnesses are yet come forward and there are currently no substantial leads.
Isabella resolves she doesn't 'want to go back' to the university 'unless the person, whoever did this, is caught'.
Isabella resolves: "All I can do with this is to try to expose what the school is doing and to try to protect other people on campus."
Asbury University said in a statement released last week: "Asbury’s priority remains the safety and wellbeing of its students, faculty, and staff."
UNILAD has contacted Asbury University for comment.