Real Change vendor Brenda Williams lay in a hospital bed surrounded by stuffed animals and the scent of cinnamon.



She said it smelled like Christmas. Williams spoke positively about her life, her role as a Real Change vendor and her many customers. She was optimistic and insisted she had no bitterness about an attack that sent her to the hospital.



In early December, a man she was with suddenly and unexpectedly attacked her, leaving her injured and permanently blind, according to a police report. Williams spent more than a week in the hospital, recovering from broken ribs, a broken collar bone and irreparable damage to her green eyes.



“I don’t feel bitter,” Williams said. “I don’t believe in hurting people. Just because you had something that happened don’t mean you need to take it out on other people.”



Randy Bickhardt, 53, attacked Williams at the Wallingford Inn on Dec. 3. He is in custody and faces multiple charges for the attack, including assault in the first degree and felony domestic violence.



Williams had trouble recounting the event, and said at different points she blacked out. But she remembered Bickhardt acting strange before he attacked her.



That day, Williams had just finished buying some food for dinner at Target downtown and took the E Line to the Wallingford Inn on Aurora Avenue where she and Bickhardt had been staying. They were dating at the time.



Williams said she was sitting on the bed when Bickhardt stepped into the shower fully clothed except for his shoes. He came out, changed into dry clothes and talked about feeling paranoid, Williams said.



That’s when he attacked her, Williams said. The police report stated that Bickhardt said he had been smoking marijuana and was seeing lasers and orbs coming out of the television. He attacked Williams with scissors, causing permanent blindness.



The Wallingford Inn manager heard Williams screaming and called the police, the report said. Police arrested Bickhardt, and an ambulance transported Williams to Harborview Medical Center.



“I didn’t realize where I was for a few days,” Williams said. “Then I woke up, and I realized I was grateful to be alive.”



Now Williams is learning to live without sight. She’s waiting to figure out where she’s going to stay, but wanted to share her story to prevent anything like this from happening to anyone else.



“I want everyone to know what domestic violence does to people,” Williams said.



She hoped her story would help another escape abusive relationships.



“I’m going to be an inspiration to everybody,” Williams said. “I want everyone to know what I went through. I don’t want anyone to go through that.”



Williams has been selling Real Change for four years, most often in front of Benaroya Hall on Third Avenue. She said she was worried that her customers would wonder where she was and whether she was OK.



And she said she is, though the event has changed her life forever. Williams had trouble finding words to describe the feeling.



“It’s not fearful, but I’m thinking of the word for it. It’s not shame,” Williams said. “It’s sad but true is the way I see it.”

Editor’s note: Due to the sensitive nature of this story, and to ensure Brenda’s safety, we contacted her to verify she wanted the piece to run. Brenda said it was important the story, and the details, be printed in Real Change. To offer her financial support, a Real Change vendor started gofundme.com/brendasbridgeback

Feb 2016 Update: Thanks to all the amazing community support, we were able to meet our goal to support Brenda’s long-term recovery. She is making great progress while staying in a skilled nursing facility. She is looking forward to finding a new place to live once she completes her recovery within the next couple months. She is hoping to find a place sometime this summer that has 24-hour staff-support for women while adjusting to living more on her own. In addition to the incredibly generous donations received towards our goal, Brenda is incredibly grateful for all the love and support, including the personal visits, the donations of clothes, yummy treats, cds, and warm messages she has received throughout her recovery. It has been truly beautiful to see the community come together to support Brenda during her greatest moment of need.