Louisiana Domestic Violence Victim Says ‘Don’t Take It As a Joke’

A 28-year-old Lafayette woman's life changed forever on September 11, 2023, after she was shot multiple times by her ex-boyfriend in an act of domestic violence according to KLFY.

The young woman's name is Deanglea Celestine, and she is the mother of 7 children. After being shot once in each arm, several times in the abdomen, and twice in the head she is now paralyzed from the waist down.

Celestine says she was co-parenting 3 of her 7 children with their father, 27-year-old Norvel Etienne, but other than communicating with him about their children, she told him to leave her alone. He did not. He repeatedly called her, and when he did, he would constantly threaten her.

She says at one point she told him she was going to get a restraining order and it was that next morning he was waiting outside of her apartment. The bullets shot from his gun changed her life and the lives of her children forever.

Celestine has plenty to say to women and anyone who might be in an abusive situation including,

First-time domestic violence leave. Don't take it as a joke. It doesn't matter if you have kids together. It doesn't matter how much they say they love you leave because I mean, I hate to see another young person like me almost get taken away from their kids.

And that's what was running through her mind when Eitenne began his attack on her. She says she just wanted to live for her children. She is doing that now with her children and her sister, Marquette Celestine in a one-bedroom apartment. She says she can't go back to where she lived before.

According to Celestine and her sister, the doctors have said it is possible that Deangela might walk again. She says she is still struggling in her life right now and there were many sleepless nights with her sister in the hospital.

Sergeant Robin Green, spokesperson for the Lafayette Police Department, had the following to say:

Miss Celestine was like the sole provider for her kids and she has a remarkable family because when this incident did occur, they stepped up but right now, in her current condition, right now, it's a lot. Anyone can help her if they know of any organization that can help assist her and her kids in getting to a bigger place or anything as far as that can assist her with her therapy. Any organizations or different providers that can assist her with her road to recovery.

For Deangela Celestine, she says she is hoping to touch people with her story and "let others know that domestic violence is not a joke."

Click here to find out how you can help Celestine.

Please keeping reading to find out what we can do about domestic violence.