A woman who was stabbed at her own birthday party has described her nightmare of a 21st.
Aroha* was rushed to hospital in a critical condition after being attacked by a group of gatecrashers on the night of August 25.
More than a week later, she told Newshub she's recovering from her injuries - but the emotional trauma will take far longer to heal.
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She invited between 70 and 100 friends and family members to her party at Moteo Marae in Hawke's Bay, and was excited to celebrate with them.
The special night was going well - speeches had been given and the birthday girl had just received her taonga when three car loads of people arrived at the marae uninvited.
"I had no idea about why they came or who told them to come, or even how they found out where it was," she told Newshub.
When she walked up to the group of young men in the car park to ask them what they were doing, she was viciously attacked.
Aroha says she was hit in the head with a bottle, knocked to the ground and kicked and stamped on. The assault only stopped when the sound of a gunshot brought the party guests spilling out of the marae, sending her attackers running to their cars.
The following moments are still a blur.
"After that all I can remember is my partner next to me and trying to keep me calm, but everyone was surrounding me," Aroha says.
"I didn't even know I had been stabbed, but I knew my back was on fire. My partner went to lift me when she felt all the blood under my back."
She was lifted into a van and driven to hospital. On the way, the van was pulled over by police, who confirmed she had been stabbed.
Her uncle and cousin were also hospitalised with head injuries, after the gatecrashers hit them with metal poles.
Twelve days on, Aroha is still in hospital recovering from the attack, kept company by her partner who has stayed with her every night.
Her lung was punctured when she was stabbed and she has sustained nerve damage in her left thumb after it was stamped on. She also has fractured ribs and suffered significant bruising.
"Physically I am getting better every day, but emotionally it's been the most traumatic experience of my life," she told Newshub.
"This has affected my wellbeing and life, and I have months of rehabilitation to go through."
Aroha is devastated by the act of violence "on a marae that was full of my elders, my childhood friends and not to mention children".
Several days after the assault, a 19-year-old man was arrested and charged with injuring with intent. Police said last week that they expect to make more arrests in relation to the attack.
*Aroha is not her real name.
Newshub.
