WATCH: Young domestic violence victim survives gunshot to the head, says ‘God’s got a purpose for me’
Melody Megginson, 24 at the time, was shot in the head in 2019 by her boyfriend.
By Renita Winfield // Domestic Violence // EEW Magazine Online
Melody Megginson is a walking, breathing miracle. In 2019, the young Alabama mother was shot in the head by the father of one of her children and now lives with a bullet lodged in her brain; it is much too dangerous for doctors to remove it.
“I categorize it as a miracle,” Megginson told Inside Edition Digital’s Maya Chung in an exclusive, in-depth interview. “Doctors tell me that I should not have survived. Period,” she said. “I survived because I feel like God's got a purpose for me.”
Melody took this picture with sons Anthem and Jayson shortly before the shooting.
Though the mom of two and resilient domestic abuse survivor lives with some challenges like paralysis on the right side of her face and loss of hearing in her right ear, the fact that she is here to tell her story is a testament to the fact that miracles still happen.
Megginson does not remember much about May 18, 2019, the fateful night that marked a pivotal turning point in her life. The then 24-year-old Birmingham mother was at home with her two sons—one she had just given birth to six weeks prior—when her controlling, inebriated boyfriend, John Nealy III, 38, entered the house in the wee hours of the morning and forced her at gunpoint into his vehicle.
Police found Megginson’s body inside Nealy’s vehicle that he had parked in his father’s driveway, where he left Megginson bleeding out. The badly wounded woman was unresponsive when authorities arrived, and doctors predicted that she had little chance of survival.
It is amazing that Melody survived at all. She is now inspiring others around the world.
After spending two months in a coma, the warrior woke up not knowing that Nealy, the father of her newborn son, was the reason for her unspeakable suffering. She asked to speak to him and was devastated to learn that Nealy had left her for dead. According to Megginson, at first, she did not believe it. It took some time for her to accept the truth.
Today, however, Megginson has a different perspective on the situation and a good outlook on life despite all she has been through. After 13 surgeries and lots of pain, the woman who is committed to helping others see the warning signs of abuse, successfully fought her way back and is raising her two beautiful sons.
Melody didn’t know that her boyfriend at the time, John Nealy III (pictured above), was not just a businessman, but he was out on bail, facing a capital murder charge.
Prior to the harrowing incident that nearly took her life, Megginson had relocated from Oregon to Birmingham and met her criminal beau while walking down the street. The two developed a whirlwind romance that produced a child shortly thereafter.
After the couple moved in together, Megginson noticed changes in Nealy. The man she originally thought was a charming businessman grew increasingly possessive and controlling. What Megginson, a soon-to-be victim of attempted murder, did not know was that Nealy was in fact already a criminal. He was out on bond on a capital murder charge in connection with a Aug. 9, 2016, shooting death of another man in east Birmingham.
Even though she did not know Nealy’s full background, Megginson was aware that the relationship was toxic, and she tried to get out—something she believes Nealy discovered which pushed him to the edge.
Melody still hopes to have more reconstructive face surgery done to correct the right-side face paralysis.
After authorities identified the victim and were given details about the suspect, Nealy was arrested and charged with attempted murder. In August 2019, he pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of first-degree assault and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. He also pled guilty in the capital murder case to a reduced charge of manslaughter and was given 20 years in that case.
Nealy is incarcerated at Bullock Correctional Facility with a minimum release date of June 8, 2044.
Megginson, who is only here by the grace of God, has launched a GoFundMe to raise money to cover the cost of face reconstructive surgery.
Press play to view her full, inspiring story below.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
