Domestic violence survivor speaks out following gruesome assault

WARNING: Some details in this story are disturbing.

CALGARY – “I’m lucky to be here.” Dawn Warden’s life was forever changed on June 9 when she says an ex-boyfriend attacked her in her Airdrie home with a sword, slicing off her fingers and one ear.

The violence was horrific.

“All my fingers were pretty much cut off, except for my thumb. I lost three, they saved seven. My shoulder was cut from the back to the end,  twice, I think, in a ‘v’ shape. There are two marks there. It was cut to the bone,” she described.

“My ear was cut off to the back of my neck… I had three gashes on my stomach and one on my right thigh.”

After the initial attack, Warden says the man set her room on fire. She was rushed to hospital where she spent eight hours in emergency surgery so doctors could reattach some of her fingers and her ear. Doctors used stitches in her hands and ears and 150 staples to close up her horrific wounds.

Dawn Warden’s life was forever changed on June 9 when she says an ex-boyfriend attacked her in her Airdrie home with a sword, slicing off her fingers and one ear. (PHOTO: Megan McPhaden 660 NEWS.)

“Where my hands are concerned, they say I should be able to get use of them. I might not be able to make a fist,” said Warden, a hairdresser and a painter.

“They said I more than likely won’t be able to do hair again, but I’m stubborn. I’m still positive on that. But they did a fantastic job of saving the most important fingers.”

As she recovers in her hospital room, she is speaking out–she wants more to be done to prevent other women from ending up in her situation.

“I was in a slump. My son passed away a year ago and I kind of lost who I was, my sense of who I was.” Warden teared up as she credited her other son for pulling her out of her depression. She says while most people assume victims stay out of fear, every story is different.

“I think I held on to the relationship because it was another relationship I could lose,” she said. “I personally stayed because when you have a loss of a child you lose a lot of your support…You don’t get over it easily.”

While domestic violence victims are rarely named by police due to privacy restrictions, Warden is speaking out in the hopes of educating others and preventing future attacks from happening.

“That’s really, really important for me.”

But for now, she is focussing on recover and regaining some independence.

Domestic violence accounts for half of homicides in Calgary

Domestic violence is all too common in Alberta. In Calgary alone, police say six of the 12 murder cases this year have been domestic-related.

The majority of them have been women and children killed by partners or family members.

READ MORE:
Over half of Calgary homicides this year domestic related: CPS
Victims of domestic abuse face danger when trying to leave: experts
Guilty verdict in Edward Downey double murder trial
Father deliberately set fire that killed both his daughter and himself: police
Murder charges laid in deaths of Calgary mother and daughter

According to a domestic violence organization that works closely with police, Sagesse Domestic Violence Prevention Society, CPS is on track to receive 30,000 domestic-violence-related calls this year.

“We know that when natural disasters or economic dips happen, [certain] communities are more impacted by domestic violence. We also now that Indigenous people have higher rates of experiencing domestic violence,” explained Executive Director of Sagesse Domestic Violence Prevention Society, Andrea Silverstone.

“Airdrie has higher rates of domestic violence. There was a study done in Airdrie, I think it was three or four years ago, that said Airdrie has four times higher than the rest of the province of Alberta.”

Silverstone says ending the cycle is something everyone needs to play an active role in.

“Most people who are experiencing domestic violence, or are using violence, the first person that they tell is a confidant–a friend of a family member. And the thing that we actually need to do is build capacity among Albertans–because most of us are confidants for somebody–about how to recognize domestic violence, respond appropriately, and then help our friend or family member get the supports that they need.”

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse–or using violence–call 1-403-234-7233(SAFE) or click here.