Sometimes life throws a curveball ... and sometimes it drops a bomb

Cindi Broaddus didn't realize that her life was about to be forever altered as she sat in the passenger seat of a car on a lonely highway, speeding toward the airport in the early morning hours of June 5, 2001. The sister-in-law of Dr. Phil McGraw, a single mother of three, and a delighted new grandmother, she was thinking only of her imminent, well-earned vacation when a gallon glass jar filled with sulfuric acid, tossed from an overpass by an unknown assailant, came crashing through the windshield. In a heartbeat, Cindi was showered with glass and flesh-eating liquid, leaving her blinded, screaming in agony, and burned almost beyond recognition. When she reached the hospital, the attending doctors gave her little better than a 30 percent chance of survival.

But Cindi Broaddus did survive — and after excruciating years of recuperation and seemingly endless sessions of skin grafts and reconstructive surgery, she emerged from her ordeal in many ways stronger than she had ever been before.

A Random Act is the riveting firsthand account of a brutal and senseless attack and its aftermath. But much more than one remarkable woman's personal chronicle of an unthinkable tragedy and amazing recovery, Cindi's story is one of hope and transcendence, born of a conscious and dedicated determination to turn a nightmarish experience into something positive and uplifting. Her unforgettable journey back to life and a gloriously renewed sense of purpose will serve as an inspiration for every reader, offering eloquent and illuminating truths about love, healing, and the astounding power of choice, while providing aninvaluable road map to a new understanding of what truly matters most.

Cindi Broaddus didn't realize that her life was about to be forever altered as she sat in the passenger seat of a car on a lonely highway, speeding toward the airport in the early morning hours of June 5, 2001. A single mother of three and a delighted new grandmother, she was thinking only of her well-earned vacation when a gallon jar of sulfuric acid, tossed from an overpass by an unknown assailant, came crashing through the windshield. In a heartbeat, Cindi was showered with glass and flesh-eating liquid, leaving her screaming in agony and burned almost beyond recognition.

A Random Act is the riveting firsthand account of a brutal and senseless attack and its aftermath. Much more than one remarkable woman's chronicle of an unthinkable tragedy and amazing recovery, Cindi's story is one of hope and transcendence, born of a conscious and dedicated determination to turn a nightmarish experience into something positive and uplifting. Her unforgettable journey back to life and a gloriously renewed sense of purpose offers illuminating truths about love, healing, and the astounding power of choice.

A random act of violence forever changed the life of Cindi Broaddus in 2001--but, transformed by the tragedy, she has become an extraordinary hero and role model. The beloved sister-in-law of Dr. Phil McGraw, the author will be featured on his show at the time of publication.

The mother of three daughters and a three-time grandmother, Cindi Broaddus serves on the board of trustees for the Dr. Phil Foundation, founded by her brother-in-law, Dr. Phil McGraw. She lives in Duncan, Oklahoma.