Sims to speak

The Clark State College Sexual Violence Prevention Team will host speaker Christy Sims at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 12 at the Brinkman Education Center (room 403), 100 S. Fountain Ave. Sims will deliver a message on “Empowering Yourself Beyond Intimate Partner Violence.”

A native of Atlanta, Sims is a public speaker, author, a nationally certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor and a survivor of and advocate against domestic violence. She is a mother of two whose life was forever changed on April 28, 2013, when her ex-boyfriend severely disfigured her by dousing her with sulfuric acid. Sims sustained third and fourth degree burns to over 20% of her body, including her entire face, neck, chest, and arms. After the incident, she remained in an induced coma for two months and endured numerous lifesaving surgeries at the Grady Burn Unit in Atlanta. She emerged from the coma with a resolve to survive, to return to her children and to pursue the prosecution of her abuser. Due to her diligence, her abuser was finally brought to justice on July 17, 2015, after a two-year fight.

Sims is the first reported case of an acid attack in the state of Georgia. To date, she has undergone 13 surgeries to reconstruct her disfigured face and body, and her personal struggle has propelled her to advocate and support other survivors of domestic violence.

An RSVP to the event is encouraged. For more information or to RSVP, contact Melinda Vannoord at vannoordm@clarkstate.edu or 937-328-7961. For disability accommodations for this event, contact accessiblity@ clarkstate.edu.