Judy Malinowski was a mother of two from Ohio who had already endured more pain than most people face in a lifetime. She had survived cancer, undergone multiple surgeries, and was trying to put her life back together. Then, in 2015, everything changed in a matter of seconds. During an argument at a gas station, her ex-boyfriend, Michael Slager, doused her with gasoline and set her on fire. It happened in public. People were there. They watched as she burned.

Judy suffered catastrophic injuries. Nearly 90% of her body was burned. Her skin was gone, her ears were burned away, and she lost most of her fingers. The agony she endured is almost impossible to comprehend. Doctors did not believe she would survive the first night — but Judy did.

She went on to endure more than 60 surgeries, constant infections, and relentless, unbearable pain. She couldn’t move freely. She struggled to breathe. Yet she was conscious. She understood everything that was happening. Her body was broken, her voice was faint, but her will was unshaken. Judy wasn’t just fighting to stay alive — she was fighting to be heard.

From her hospital bed, knowing her time was limited, Judy recorded her testimony. She calmly and clearly described the attack and named the man who did this to her. When Judy passed away in 2017 due to complications from her injuries, her recorded words did not die with her. For the first time in Ohio history, a victim’s testimony was used in court after death. Michael Slager was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Judy’s suffering also led to change. Her mother fought to strengthen the law, pushing for harsher penalties for crimes involving burning and disfigurement. The result was “Judy’s Law.” It cannot undo what Judy endured, but it may save others. Judy Malinowski lived in unimaginable pain — and transformed that pain into justice.

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