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The woman named Diane M. created a GoFundMe page to raise money for her medical bills. The critical care nurse of more than 17 years said her ex hired a woman to kill her because of her "disobedience," leading to the assault outside her home on Friday, July 26.
Returning from a night shift, Diane said she was attacked as she got out of her car. A woman climbed into the car and poured sulfuric acid onto her.
Diane suffered third-degree burns on 35 percent of her body and underwent seven surgeries, spending 76 days in a trauma burn center.
"My medical bills are astronomical, my car was totaled from the acid burning holes through the metal, and I currently have no income because I cannot return to work yet," Diane wrote. "My goal is to heal mentally and physically and come back stronger than ever; and although my body will never look or feel the same I am working hard [every day] to regain my courage and strength."
Investigators said 49-year-old William DiBernardino Jr. of Boynton Beach, Florida, enlisted two people from Jacksonville, FL: 38-year-old Betty Jo Lane and 39-year-old Jmarr McNeil. DiBernardino ordered the acid online, bought a GPS tracker to monitor Diane’s movements, and wired money to pay for the rental car Lane and McNeil used to travel to New Jersey.
Court documents revealed the suspects stalked Diane for nearly two weeks before the attack, starting on Sunday, July 14. After the attack, Lane and McNeil went back to Florida, where they were arrested.
The trio was charged with attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, aggravated assault, and stalking.
"What was done to her was just atrocious," said Tom Gilbert, chief of detectives for the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office.
Diane, 42, said she ended her abusive 13-year relationship with DiBernardino in March.
"I finally gained the courage and self-esteem to break away and start a new life," she wrote.
Diane said she hopes her near-death experience can inspire others.
"I intend to tell my story to the world and work with victims of domestic violence to help them realize it’s never too late to seek a better, safer life," she wrote.
The GoFundMe had raised more than $1,100 from at least 23 donations as of Wednesday, Nov. 20.
You can click here to see the GoFundMe page for Diane.
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