TAMPA, Fla. — A pregnant mother is now preparing for surgeons to remove a bullet from her head after her family of five was shot while sleeping in their car last week.
"I won't complain even though I could, but I'm not because I'm not dead," Vivian Acker said. "I'm alive! Thank you, Lord, I'm alive."
Acker is nine weeks pregnant. She says she's in pain but is thankful to be alive. She was transferred to Tampa General Hospital from St. Joseph's Hospital over the weekend for care. Now, doctors are making plans to remove the bullet from her head.
"I actually took a 9 mm bullet to the head," Acker said. "It's right above my temple thank God. The detective today said they're astonished that I'm alive."
She spoke exclusively to 10 Tampa Bay's Angelina Salcedo from her hospital bed. Her husband, Demarian Acker, watched, relieved that she's OK.
"I'm just happy that she's still here. It's tragic," he said. "I don't wish that on anybody. That's my best friend right there."
Demarian Acker almost lost her when someone opened fire on the car where the couple and their three kids were sleeping early last Wednesday morning.
"It sounded like a knock, when it picked up was when I noticed it was gunshots," Demarian Acker said. "Next thing I know, I just pulled everybody down."
Vivian Acker was sitting on the passenger side where most of the bullets were shot. After 13 years together, it seemed like life was slipping away.
"Everything that I knew of was leaving me and I couldn't do anything," Demarian Acker said. "But she's here, thank you, Lord. She's here and that's all that matters to me. My kids didn't get touched or harmed at all either."
Their kids are just 3, 4, and 9 years old. They're now out of Tampa with other family members while their parents are in the hospital.
Tampa police arrested 21-year-old Christopher Stamat Jr. and charged him with six felony charges, including four counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, one count of second-degree attempted murder and one count of shooting into a vehicle.
"I'm ecstatic that he got caught cause even people in the neighborhood that knew can sleep now," Demarian Acker said. "There's a lot of people in the neighborhood that couldn't sleep and were scared. He had a lot of people shook."
The couple says their family forgives the man who did this to them, saying he deserves forgiveness, too.
After being down on luck, doing anything they could to get back on their feet and out of their car, the Ackers will use this to help others.
"She's already trying to be an advocate and push for help for homeless," Demarian Acker said.
Vivian Acker plans to start a nonprofit that will advocate for anyone who's homeless and families going through a tough time.
"I didn't know my purpose and it's to serve people and after I recover, I'm going to make sure I do that," Vivian Acker said.
The mom of three has at least two more weeks at TGH until she can see her babies again. Should you want to help the family, you can here.