KARLI BUTLER: I remember just screaming and
screaming, and my skin falling off of my face.
KARLI BUTLER: Going to sleep one person and
waking up someone else is really difficult. No one can prepare you for something like
that. I was 23 years old, living pretty much the life of my dreams and I had actually just
started graduate school. So, I felt like the world was at my fingertips, and I was just
enjoying life, and unfortunately that changed.
COMM: In May 2006, Karli was visiting her
cousin in their hometown of Chicago when she was confronted by two women.
KARLI BUTLER: I knew something was wrong and
I took off running towards my car. As I was running towards my car, they took off running
towards me. I eventually made it into my car. I wasn’t sure if I should start the car
or try to, you know, fight with the woman, but she had a gun and she was trying to get
the gun into the car. So, I put my hands up immediately and I felt a splash over, horrible,
awful, I can’t even describe the pain. My eyes burnt so badly. My first reaction was
to wipe, you can see exactly where my eyes melted down. And then I felt the second splash
on my stomach.
RAQUEL MATTHEWS: I heard screaming from outside
and it was, “Help, help Raquel help me.”
KARLI BUTLER: I remember just screaming and
screaming, and my skin falling off of my face.
RAQUEL MATTHEWS: She had no clothes on from
the waist down, her shirt was on, but it was melted almost to her skin. She came upstairs
and she’s like, I’m like, ‘What happened?” and she’s like, “Those girls, those girls,
they threw acid on me.”
COMM: Karli was rushed to hospital with life-threatening injuries.
KARLI BUTLER: I would sustain third degree
full thickness burns to 30% of my body. I would, from that evening, spend six and a
half weeks in the intensive care burn unit at the hospital, and started undergoing a
series of surgeries. I’ve had at least 15. I have scarring on about 65 to 70% of my body
because of the skin grafting that had to be done. I first saw myself in the mirror accidentally.
I completely lost it, because I didn’t know who that person was. So, my life would completely
be turned upside down from then on. I was in so much pain and traumatised more than
I could imagine. With therapy I was able to get back to a normal state.
COMM: Her attacker was sentenced to 15 years
in prison, but for Karli a lot of questions remain unanswered.
KARLI BUTLER: There was a lot of speculation
about what happened to me and to this day I don’t have the answers that I want. I
was angry, I was hurt and also confused about why they’d do something so heinous. But
although, that negative energy was negatively impacting my own life, so over time I just
decided that I can’t live like this. I’ve forgiven everyone involved. So, I hold no
ill will.
COMM: Karli now uses her story to inspire others.
NINA BUTLER: I think it’s amazing that she
is promoting anything that has to do with body image and her motivational speaking.
She is not just a survivor, but a thriver. She is remarkable.
KARLI BUTLER: I’m in a really great place
in my life. I’m working with young women and I have an amazing four-year-old son. And
my experiences are actually bringing a lot of amazing opportunities in my life that I
otherwise don’t think I would have. Your scars and imperfections are what make you
special.
MELANIE HOLMES: They may have burnt her, but
they did not take her life away from her and she was, her point was to get back into that,
get her life back.
KARLI BUTLER: Before I was burnt, I put so
much of my worth into how I looked, in my physical appearance. Beauty is much more than
skin deep and I love my scars. I always say I love my stripes. I wouldn’t change a thing.