Hi, my name is Janet. I was born and raised in West Sacramento. I was the first woman
ever to make seniority at Farmer's Rice Co-op through the International Longshoreman
or Haswin Union, local 17. I worked hard, you know, for 26 years, but I couldn't wait
to get home to my children every day. My husband died, he was 28, and seven years later I remarried
again to somebody that worked at the Rice Mill, and he also passed away. They were both
juvenile diabetics, and he passed away at 42, and I had to go on and go on with my kids,
so I was as strong as I could be. I called myself a strong woman, you know, and not because I
picked up the Hunter and Patelans Act, is because I thought strong, and I believe all women should
think strong, and I believe that a woman can work at a man's job and support her children,
you know, just like a man can. And I had to take a lot of bull from them, but, you know,
it comes with it. I had to use the men's bathroom, you know, had the foreman come over while I used
the men's bathroom because it took them three years to get a woman's. I had, I got on a bus
to go to see my children and went into cardiac arrest, and I say I would land in Vegas, but
that's where they took me off the bus. I had, I've had three strokes, one very serious where I was
totally paralyzed left side, plus arms curled up. I've had two heart surgeries. I would, I got
myself where I was walking again, but still dragging on the left leg. I went into a place
called Safe Haven. They would not let me live on my own because of the seizures, because of the
strokes and the heart attacks. I, I went into Safe Haven. Safe Haven was what I called a safe
place, you know, and it was. And, and I continued my therapy there. After living there two years,
I went to the store. I was again going to see my grandkids and they're in Illinois. And I went to
the H.E.M. and in the films from the H.E.M. there was a guy behind me that was watching quite a bit.
I leave the H.E.M. and walk next door into the apartment complex and this guy yells at me,
but I just had an eerie feeling and I grabbed my purse even tighter and this guy, I heard footsteps
coming behind me really loud and in, and fast. He passed me up by two steps, turned around,
and gave me a hard blow with his fist directly in between the lines, the nose and the eyes,
and kicked it back to my knees. So my keys went flying and he grabbed my purse, but I wouldn't
let it go because I had a lot of money in there. I had my airline tickets for the early the next
morning and stuff. And I wouldn't let go. Well, this man bruised my face by kicking me with the
heel of his boot. My ribs too were cracked. I was severely bruised all over the chest. I rolled
over because I couldn't take it anymore saying he was going to kill me if I didn't let go. Well,
I didn't let go and he kept on and some neighbors came out. I was screaming and they chased him,
but did not catch him. You know, I was taken to the hospital where I had seven hematomas to the
head, damaged to my spinal cord and brain stem, and somebody turned him in. They got him. I gave
depositions. The RN, she was going to go to court because I just wanted to come home and home is
Sacramento to me. We go back. Our family goes back many generations to the Meme Walk Indians,
and I just wanted to come home. And I did. Three weeks after I got out of heart surgery,
I jumped on the bus. So I've been here going on three years at Helping Hearts Foundation,
which, you know, they helped me get to my doctor appointments and stuff. And I just kept working
on getting stronger. I always have and I always will.
