Dr. Phil's sister-in-law who survived an acid attack, Cindi Broaddus, is dead at 68
Dr. Phil McGraw's sister-in-law, Cindi Broaddus, has died at 68. Broaddus was the sister of Dr. Phil's wife, Robin, and she was known for sharing her story of surviving an acid attack.
In 2001, Broaddus survived a random attack when someone threw a jar of sulfuric acid off an overpass; the incident left her with chemical burns. She wrote a book called "A Random Act: An Inspiring True Story of Fighting to Survive and Choosing to Forgive" in 2007, for which Dr. Phil wrote the foreword.
An obituary in Oklahoma's The Duncan Banner states that Broaddus died on Feb. 19 and her funeral service was scheduled for Friday, Feb. 23 — her birthday.
Robin McGraw posted a photo collage of her sister on Instagram on Feb. 24 with a message to Broaddus' three daughters, saying, "I am so proud of you and Angela and Shelli. We are all heartbroken and will miss her everyday. She was our hero. You 3 all made her life a dream. She lived everyday for her daughters and you always made her the happiest woman ever! I will celebrate her and her strength and her unwavering support for me the rest of my life. I miss her dearly."
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The obituary described how Broaddus' life changed forever following the acid attack.
"This one act started her journey of courage and the inspiration for her book 'A Random Act,'" it said. "Spreading her message of courage, she inspired a multitude of people. She was brave until the very end."
Broaddus also appeared on "Dr. Phil" to talk about her attack. She said that she was driving when someone threw a vat of acid from an overpass that went through the windshield of the car.
"The acid burned my face, my lips, my cheeks, my chin, my arms. I inhaled acid. It also burned the inside of my mouth, my tongue, and my throat," she said. "I remember having my hands in my face thinking I was bleeding, and realizing that was skin in my hands."
Her family said they thought she was going to die, but Broaddus said on "Dr. Phil" that she returned to work six weeks after the attack. "From the moment of the attack I decided it was up to me and I was going to live," she said.