Central Park jogger reads of her brutal attacks in a book signing on campus
Julia Rose
Issue date: 9/21/09 Section: News
The world seemed to halt in April 1989 when news of the brutal attack on the woman people called the "Central Park Jogger" hit airwaves. People around the world tuned in and waited to hear whether Trisha Meili - beaten, raped and left for dead in the middle of New York City's Central Park - would survive.
Meili survived her ordeal, and she appeared at DePaul's Loop Campus last Monday to give her first-hand account, speaking to a classroom full of students and faculty.
Scott Young, Chariman of the Department of Management, remembered Meili's story while reading "The Survivor's Handbook." He said he decided to revisit and research the "Central Park Jogger," and after a Web search, Young contacted Meili and asked her to come and speak at DePaul about what happened to her.
The attack
A little after 9 p.m. on April 19, 1989, Meili went for her usual jog. She entered Central Park, wearing earphones, and was soon confronted by about 30 teenagers "wilding" the area. The men assaulted, beat, bound, gagged and raped Meili, leaving her for dead.
Hours later, two men walking through the park found her near-lifeless body. She was rushed to New York's Metropolitan Hospital where doctors worked furiously to save her life. She lay on the table, comatose, hypothermic, having lost 80 percent of her blood, and in Stage Four shock (on a five-level scale, Stage Five being "irreversible" shock trauma). Meili was on the verge of death. She remained in a coma for 12 days.
When she awoke, Meili could remember nothing. No recollection of going for a run that night, encountering the 30 teenagers, or being left to die trickled across her memory. She knew, however, that something terrible had happened. She spent the next few weeks listening to others tell her the story of the brutal attack, watching her family members suffer with despair, and was unable to remember anything from that night.
Recovery and support
As the months passed, Meili disappeared into recovery (she had to re-learn how to use her hands among other physical handicaps), but her story continued to pulsate throughout communities across the country. People sent Meili cards of support, healing oils and holy water. She even received 18 roses from Frank Sinatra. One person sent a note to Meili which said, "You shouldn't feel ashamed, we are ashamed at how you were treated.'"
Meili survived her ordeal, and she appeared at DePaul's Loop Campus last Monday to give her first-hand account, speaking to a classroom full of students and faculty.
Scott Young, Chariman of the Department of Management, remembered Meili's story while reading "The Survivor's Handbook." He said he decided to revisit and research the "Central Park Jogger," and after a Web search, Young contacted Meili and asked her to come and speak at DePaul about what happened to her.
The attack
A little after 9 p.m. on April 19, 1989, Meili went for her usual jog. She entered Central Park, wearing earphones, and was soon confronted by about 30 teenagers "wilding" the area. The men assaulted, beat, bound, gagged and raped Meili, leaving her for dead.
Hours later, two men walking through the park found her near-lifeless body. She was rushed to New York's Metropolitan Hospital where doctors worked furiously to save her life. She lay on the table, comatose, hypothermic, having lost 80 percent of her blood, and in Stage Four shock (on a five-level scale, Stage Five being "irreversible" shock trauma). Meili was on the verge of death. She remained in a coma for 12 days.
When she awoke, Meili could remember nothing. No recollection of going for a run that night, encountering the 30 teenagers, or being left to die trickled across her memory. She knew, however, that something terrible had happened. She spent the next few weeks listening to others tell her the story of the brutal attack, watching her family members suffer with despair, and was unable to remember anything from that night.
Recovery and support
As the months passed, Meili disappeared into recovery (she had to re-learn how to use her hands among other physical handicaps), but her story continued to pulsate throughout communities across the country. People sent Meili cards of support, healing oils and holy water. She even received 18 roses from Frank Sinatra. One person sent a note to Meili which said, "You shouldn't feel ashamed, we are ashamed at how you were treated.'"
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Donna
posted 3/09/10 @ 5:31 AM CST
Our hearts will always go out to Meili and her family. She is an amazing women. Their is never a time I walk into the park without thinking of the ordeal she went through. (Continued…)
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