In Las Cruces, domestic violence burn victim shares will to survive

It’s difficult for Christy Sims to forget the moments after she decided to leave her former boyfriend.

“Physical pain, emotional pain and mental pain,” Sims said. “It’s hard to even put into words what it feels like to be burned alive.”

Upon hearing her decision to leave, he threw sulfuric acid at her, burning 20% of her body, including her face, neck, chest and arms.

“I don’t know what to tell you,” Sims said. “After that, the surgeries, so many surgeries every two months. I’ve had my entire face reconstructed. All of this has been reconstructed.”

Sims said she was in a coma and was legally blind following the injury. She told ABC-7 she had to stay strong through her injuries for her children.

“That’s what I’ve been trying to teach my children,” Sims said. “That’s the message that I want to send, is that, ‘Yeah, pretty horrible things happen to you, But you know what, you’re strong enough! You’re powerful enough. You’re resourceful enough to get through this stuff.'”

Sims urged a crowd of Doña Ana Community College students to support victims of domestic abuse and to share helpful resources.

“Nobody wants to talk about it, everybody claims it’s not happening to them, but if you can get them to talk about, that’s how real change occurs,” Sims said.

Sims has overcome her injuries and blindness largely because of her prayers and faith, she said.

“A lot of physical pain, but the emotional and mental pain is something that would have broken me if I did not have the faith, if I did not have the love around me,” Sims said.

Victims of domestic violence in Las Cruces are urged to call La Casa at 575-526-2819.