A teacher's aide who was beaten unconscious by a student in a violent assault that was caught on camera hopes a judge shows no mercy when the teen is sentenced next year.
Joan Naydich was attacked by Brendan Depa, then 17 years old, at Matanzas High School in Palm Coast, Florida, 60 miles south of Jacksonville, in February.
"Everybody that knows me or knew me [before the attack], knows that I'm a totally different person now," Naydich told WOFL. "My whole life was just turned upside down."
Surveillance video of the attack showed Depa, at 6'6" tall and 270 pounds, pushing Naydich several feet and knocking her to the floor unconscious. The teen then repeatedly kicked and punched Naydich in the back and head before he was pulled away by other staff members.
Police noted that Naydich was unconscious during the entire assault and unable to protect herself.
Naydich told WOFL that she suffered multiple serious injuries, including five broken ribs, a severe concussion and loss of hearing in one of her ears, among other issues. Her speech has slowed, she has issues with patience and routine cognitive functions have become difficult.
"Unfortunately, a lot of my injuries that are not visible I'm going to have for the rest of my life," she said.
Naydich said she feels like she's still "constantly being attacked" by medical bills and doctors who can't quite diagnose some of the neurological symptoms she has. On top of that, Naydich told WOFL her worker's compensation case has not yet been resolved. And due to her medical issues, she was placed on an unpaid leave of absence from her job at the Flagler County school district.
Now, she's forced to live off donations. A GoFundMe account started after the attack raised more than $123,000.
Police initially said Depa admitted to being upset because Naydich took his Nintendo Switch, a portable gaming device, away during class. However, Naydich said another staff member took the device, not her.
Depa pleaded no contest aggravated battery and could face up to 30 years in prison when sentenced this January -- and that's what Naydich is hoping he gets.
"I want to make sure he is not able to walk the streets freely," she told WOFL.