A WOMAN was left fighting for her life after her ex-husband allegedly attacked her during a drug-fuelled frenzy.
Lara Gavaldon claims she was brutally attacked and left half-blind after her face was caved in.
The alleged attack happened back in July 2022, when Lara says she was woken up after a family camping holiday by her ex Rudy Gavaldon, 36, telling her he was dying due to "a large dose of psilocybin", he had taken.
Psilocybin is the active ingredient in magic mushrooms and provides an intense psychedelic high for users.
Lara claimed she was then subjected to a heinous beating that left her in a state close to death.
Rudy was in the street holding their child when officers arrived on the scene, police said.
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Lara was airlifted to a hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan after the alleged attack but didn't wake up for another five days with no memory of anything that happened.
Her condition was labelled as "critical" by doctors.
It wasn't until she saw the state her ex-partner had allegedly left her face in that things started to fall into place.
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A police report later filed, claimed the alleged assault was done with a glass table lamp.
Lara was left with multiple facial lacerations including a 2cm hole in her nasal bridge, several fractures in her face and broken teeth.
She also faced severe damage to her right eye that led to a tragic loss of vision and now she uses a prosthetic eye.
The ex-lover is currently on bail awaiting a trialdue to begin in January. He has pleaded not guilty.
Lara said on Instagram that there is a "no contact order in place", so the pair haven't spoke since the incident.
She spoke about her feelings towards him now and explained: "I'm sure he's horrified, although that doesn't excuse what happened."
After several surgeries to her nose, face, mouth and eye Lara accepted the trauma and moved on with her life.
She is now at home, recovering with her two young children Henry, 10, and Teddy who was only 9-months-old at the time of the attack.
Her children were unharmed and have helped Lara learn to love herself again despite her "facial disfigurement".
She admitted on social media: "I came to terms with the end of my marriage that I thought would last forever."
A fundraiser set up by her close friend currently has over $30,000 of donations from people who have come across her journey online.
The money goes to Lara to help make up for the many months she wasn't able to work for due to her injuries.
The loving friend commented on the situation saying: "Lara is focusing on healing, recovering physically and emotionally, caring for her children, and trying to figure out her new normal."
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Since the surgeries, Lara has spent her time showing off her recovery and how she's coping, on her Instagram.
With over 25,400 followers she is documenting her life to adoring fans and keeping them up to date with her health.
How you can get help
Women’s Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
- Always keep your phone nearby.
- Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
- If you are in danger, call 999.
- Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
- Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
- If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
- Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – [email protected].
Women’s Aid provides a live chat service – available weekdays from 8am-6pm and weekends 10am-6pm.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.
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