LOVELAND, Colo. (KDVR) – Mystique Wadena is celebrating her 29th birthday, one she almost didn’t live to see. The mother of three was shot six times.
She describes being shot, allegedly by her neighbor Tiera Marie Kelly, on Aug. 30 in Loveland.
“I was still kind of in shock when I looked over at my son. He was standing there, the blood from my neck started spraying out. He started screaming. Because he got scared, I got scared,” Wadena said. “I’ve never heard of anyone surviving all that. They say I’m really lucky, I’m slimmer because the bullets didn’t ricochet through my body, went straight through, so I guess I got lucky in that sense.”
Wadena still does not understand why she was shot.
“There were no words, we didn’t talk at all that day. So I just get really frustrated when they’re like, ‘It was a dispute over parenting,'” she said.
Mystique spent 10 days in the hospital and still has a long road to a full recovery.
“I was shot twice in my face. It went through my dimple,” she said.
She said asking for help is the hardest part.
“I’m a pretty independent person, so humbly to ask people to help me is very frustrating,” she said.
She is a cosmetology student, but can’t put gloves on to work or go to school because of the injury to her hand. She is hoping to return to school and work in January.
Her friends say she is a walking miracle.
“She tells people all the time, she’s not a victim, she’s a survivor,” said friend Jamie Ruiz.
They are raising money to help her moved to a safe place and get a fresh start.
“She’s my daughter’s best friend so I’m like a second mom. It’s traumatizing to know she got shot right here by a tree and she has to walk past that to check her mail or go into her apartment,” Ruiz said.
Wadena can’t explain how she survived, but she is grateful to be alive and grateful to the community that is supporting her.
Her friends have set up a website to help raise money so she can buy a trailer and furnish it.
“We’re just trying to seeing if anyone can help her come up with the down payment or maybe some furniture. Everything’s appreciated,” Ruiz said.
