EMT Proposes at Tampa Bay Rays Baseball Game to Domestic Violence Survivor He Once Saved
Cameron Hill first met Melissa Dohme after she'd been stabbed 32 times by an ex.
— -- An emergency medical technician very publicly proposed marriage to the domestic violence survivor he once saved, at a Tampa Bay Rays baseball game this week.
Cameron Hill and Melissa Dohme first met more than three years ago after Dohme's former boyfriend, Robert Lee Burton Jr., 22, stabbed her 32 times and left her for dead. Burton is currently serving a life sentence in prison without parole after pleading guilty to assaulting Dohme in October 2013.
"At the time, she was real bloody," Hill told ABC News previously. "I, for some reason, didn't think it was the last time I would see her."
The two eventually crossed paths again almost 10 months later at an event where Dohme was raising awareness for domestic violence, Dohme's close friend Julie Weintraub told ABC News today.
"He invited her and her mom for dinner at the fire station, where he also works at, and it was so romantic," Weintraub said. "He put out a red carpet, had her try on all these uniforms and, right away, there was a strong connection between them."
Dohme made an excuse to go see Hill again at the station, Weintraub added, and they ended up talking for five hours straight when, by "divine intervention," no emergencies were called in.
Since then, it's been happily ever after, and the two are now getting ready to tie the knot following Hill's surprise proposal.
Dohme was about to throw the ceremonial first pitch at the Rays game Monday in honor of her community work fighting against domestic violence when Hill surprised her.
Hill ran out on the field, got down on one knee, and handed her the ball that had the question "Will you marry me?" written on it. He also pulled out a ring.
Dohme's jaw dropped as she said yes. She then kissed Hill and threw the game's first pitch.
In addition to getting engaged to the man of her dreams, Dohme has also earned an associate's degree and is now six classes shy of a bachelor's degree, her friend said, adding that Dohme works full-time as a domestic violence advocate, as well.
"My message to any woman that's in an abusive relationship is that you're not alone and there is a better life after abuse," Dohme told ABC News in a previous interview. "You deserve to be loved and respected, and never, never should a man lay a hand on you. And it's not acceptable by any means."