To me and you allowed yourself to go to the dark side. well, you know what? you had a choice. reporter: confronting her attacker, experts say, played a huge part in the healing process. there is a feeling of empowerment, a feeling of i m not alone. joining us now is heidi damon. she is in the studio. thank you so much for your time you re very welcome. how many days and nights do you think about that moment? every. every day did you know what you wanted topaper in your hand. it seemed you were speaking from your heart. i was. a lot of people have asked me how i prepared. i really didn t. when something happens to you so traumatic, you have blurps of thoughts throughout time. so over 2 1/2-year period i thought after million things to say to him. so the day that i had court and i saw him, i wanted to make sure
Call it green monday. fedex expecting to ship 17 million packages today. it is, if you didn t know the busiest day of the year for them. plus, it is a hot news nation gut check today. lowe s offers a heart hearted apology after pulling its ads from a tv show featuring american muslims. is it enough? we have a new comment about. we usually don t identify victims of sexual assault but one woman says she is not embarrassed and does not consider herself a victim. heidi cooper confronted her attacker and is sharing her story with the world. she will speak with news a moment but first nbc s michelle franzen has her story. facing her attacker inside this tampa courtroom my name is heidi elizabeth damon. i have a name. i have a name that will go on forever. reporter: and not holding back. i survived! you have simply victimized
Yourself. i will be free for the rest of my life. you will be a prisoner for the rest of yours. reporter: heidi damon personally deliver ad message to cooper on the day he was sentenced for trying to rape and kill her. i am not a victim. i am the victor. the stronger and the winner. reporter: it has been two years since damon was brutality attacked during the day in this parking garage while walking to her car. damon testified cooper grabbed her from behind while she was talking on her cell phone. choked her and caused her to pass out. when she came to, her pants and underwear had been removed. and she was bruised and her eyes remained bloodied for weeks afterwards. tell me your name. reporter: prosecutors say her assailant, just 16 years old at the time of his arrest, and much heavier, likely got scared when she lost consciousness and fled. you did this horrible thing