He left her paralysed. Now she’s helping other women understand what abuse looks like and how to leave.
Maria Gruver fell asleep after celebrating her 26th birthday.
She woke to her husband throwing her into the floor.
His assault on July 15, 2012, was so fierce that he broke Maria’s neck.
Instead of getting her help, he cut himself and used his own blood to write an apology on the wall.
Despite not being able to feel her limbs and struggling to breathe, the young woman managed to call emergency services.
“Please. I need help. Now. I feel like I’m dying. I feel like I am going away. And today is my birthday,” she told the call-taker.
Maria spent many months in hospital, with doctors fearing she would need a machine to breathe for the rest of her life.
But she proved them wrong, at first moving into a nursing home where she began navigating the world in a wheelchair and breathing on her own.
Her community donated so she could live in her own home in the American town of Nazareth.
Throughout the legal process, he blamed Maria for his violence
He was sentenced to 10 years in prison off the back of a plea deal.
When it was time for his parole, Maria was denied a voice at the hearing.
“The judicial system took away my right to speak up at the parole hearing,” she says.
“If they had let me speak, may be he would’ve served at least 10 more years.”
Maria now has a loving relationship and is raising her daughter, surrounded by care.
She uses her social media platforms to help other women see the red flags.
“Women have the right to leave a relationship in a peaceful manner,” she says.
“Do not ignore the red flags – take control of your life.
“If you’re in an abusive relationship, get out as fast as you can.”
Help Maria thrive on her socials and in her business: @wheelchairquad_ & www.tiktok.com/@quadqueenmari
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