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'It's okay to be a survivor': Milwaukee woman details her journey after being shot 11 times

Posted at 6:23 PM, Feb 02, 2022
and last updated 2022-02-03 06:03:04-05

Twenty-year-old Deanna Isom was shot 11 times and defied the odds. Even through the pain, Isom is working hard both physically and emotionally.

It's been a long six months for Isom.

"A lot of people get shot one time and don't make it," Isom said. "I was shot 11 times."

Her life changed when she and her best friend were shot while sitting in a car at 48th and Villard in August.

Her best friend died in the shooting.

When TMJ4's Ubah Ali spoke to Isom she was learning to live in a wheelchair and still trying to come to terms with what happened.

"It's okay to be a survivor, but it's not going to be easy," she said.

Now, after countless surgeries, she's home recovering and attending school at Colorado State studying Computer Science.

Even through the pain, Isom is taking the worst day of her life and creating something meaningful for health care workers.

"They are some amazing Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) they are the CNA's taking care of gun violence victims, and I think they should be able to wear them," Isom said.

She's hoping nurses can wear scrubs with a special message on it.

"It's going to be gun violence survivor," Isom said. "I was going to put that logo on the scrubs."

Isom said she want's that message to give hope to not only the victims, but the healthcare workers she calls everyday heroes.

"I want people to know when they go to the hospital, and they are victims of gun violence to know they are not alone," Isom said.

When we asked Isom what's next for her, she replied, "I'm going to go where the road takes me."

She's hopeful that road leads her to finding a vendor and bringing her idea of these personalized scrubs to a hospital.

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