Turkey Toss Victim Victoria Ruvolo Writes Book About Forgiveness
RONKONKOMA, NY (WCBS 880) - Victoria Ruvolo of Long Island is lucky to be alive after a 20-pound turkey went flying through her car windshield in Lake Ronkonkoma in 2004.
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Ruvolo suffered massive head and facial injuries in the incident, and was in a medically induced coma for nearly a month after a group of teenagers hurled the frozen fowl from a moving car and through Ruvolo's windshield.
One of the teens, Ryan Cushing, got a six-month jail sentence and served five years probation. Ruvolo stunned nearly everyone when she asked the court to give Cushing the lightest sentence possible because she forgave him.
Now, seven years later, she has only good things to say about the now 25-year-old Cushing, including how, for three years, he went around to various classrooms and talked to children about anger management and living a clean life.
"It's really made me appreciate life a lot lot more because I lived through the incident and... how blessed can I be that God allowed me to come back so well," she told WCBS 880 reporter Sophia Hall. "Everything humbled me. It really did and I thank God every day for giving me such wonderful things. I mean, I know it was a ridiculous act and God allowed me to come back and be so well."
In her book, "No Room For Vengeance," Ruvolo talks about the incident and forgiveness.
"My parents, they always taught me you treat people how you want to be treated," she said.
Do you think you could forgive someone for an act like that? Sound off below!
