A Calgary woman is recovering at her daughter’s home after being stabbed in a random attack on Friday evening.
Judy DeJong, who declined to show her face on camera, was walking to North Hill Centre from her home a few blocks away in Capitol Hill at around 5 p.m.
She said she was near 17 Avenue N.W. and 17 Street N.W. when a man came up from behind and stabbed her in the chest.
“I turned around and there was a guy running and he was at the corner already turning east and then I thought I guess my chest will stop hurting in a minute,” DeJong said.
At first, the 59-year-old didn’t realize she had been stabbed. She’s grateful it started to snow that afternoon and she was wearing a heavy winter coat.
“I felt really warm and drippy,” she said. “I thought, well that’s odd. So I put my hand on my chest and I pulled it away and it was full of blood.
“That’s when I realized I was stabbed.”
She managed to walk to the Centex gas station on 16 Avenue N.W. and was taken to the Foothills Medical Centre in serious condition.
“I was worried that I was bleeding and if he hit my heart and I didn’t know where,” Dejong said. “I just right away put my gloves on my chest because I wanted to stop it and I held the pressure there myself.”
“I was bleeding all over the place.”
Calgary police confirm this was a random attack and they have no suspects or motive at this point.
“He didn’t take anything,” DeJong said. “He could’ve grabbed my knapsack or something but he didn’t ask me for anything. He just did it and ran.”
DeJong’s injuries will prevent her from going back to her job as a nanny for now. She is staying with her family who has set up a GoFundMe page to help her get by.
“I am scared to go in my neighbourhood now,” DeJong said. “I don’t want to go home. I’ve always felt pretty safe there. There’s always a few transients there but I was never bothered by anyone before.”
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