Nearly two years after surviving a brutal stabbing by her adult son, Susan Cutler Early has turned her trauma into testimony — co-authoring a book about the experience with her childhood friend, Sue Krawczyk Martin.
Published in November 2024, “When I Saw God’s Hand” recounts Early’s near-death experience, the months of recovery that followed, and how forgiveness became her path forward. The Brownsburg woman said she wrote the book to help others dealing with pain, violence or mental illness in their families.
“I want to focus on the book,” Early said. “Speaking engagements, you know, that kind of thing. A lot of people are asking for a follow-up with what happens trial-wise and all of that.”
The story begins in spring 2023, when Early’s 30-year-old son, Kyle Braun, who was struggling with mental illness, visited her home in Brownsburg. An interaction between the two escalated quickly.
“You need to leave,” she recalled telling him. “I don’t know how much of that I got out because as soon as I said no, he started making long strides toward me and punched me in my eye.”
Early’s reading glasses flew across the room and were later found in the basement stairwell — a small detail that still stays with her. The real horror began in front of her 3-year-old granddaughter, who was present as Braun repeatedly struck her.
“He just started beating me up,” Early said. “He cut my eye open and that blood was going into not only that eye, but then it was draining into this eye. So, I could barely see, and I was trying to get away to find my phone to call for help.”
While trying to get to her phone, Early reentered the kitchen, where Braun grabbed a knife that had been left on the counter after slicing cantaloupe earlier.
“Four of them were in my abdomen, four of them were in my face,” she said. “And then one in my head. That’s the only one I knew.”
The final stab — to her skull — left the knife embedded. Doctors later told her they couldn’t remove it until after the first emergency surgery to save her life.
Still, Early managed to run from the house, through the garage and onto the driveway, calling out for help.
“I thought, ‘Oh, my gosh, I’m going to die here,’” she said. “Then I realized my granddaughter was still in the house.”
Early went back inside and found the child, who ran into her arms.
“I had no idea I was covered in blood,” she said. “I just said, ‘It’s OK, Nana’s right here.’”
Neighbors had already begun gathering on her front lawn. One neighbor took the child to safety. Others called 911 and prayed over Early while she waited for first responders.
Braun fled the scene but was later apprehended and placed in a secure mental health facility, where he remains. Legal proceedings are ongoing.
Although Early’s physical recovery took months, it was the emotional and spiritual journey that ultimately led her to write the book — something she said she could not have done without Martin, her lifelong friend and writing partner.
“She helped me give it structure and clarity,” Early said. “It was such an emotional process, and Sue just knew how to help me find the words.”
The two grew up together and reconnected more deeply during Early’s recovery. What started as a series of healing conversations soon turned into a collaboration — a book filled not only with trauma, but with testimony and faith.
The title, “When I Saw God’s Hand,” refers to what Early describes as divine moments of protection, healing and support — from the neighbors who stepped in to the doctors who saved her life.
Susan Cutler Early talks about her book, “When I Saw God’s Hand,” during a recent signing event at The Author’s Patch bookstore in Danville. The memoir recounts her survival and journey of forgiveness after a 2023 attack by her son.
Now, Early says her focus is on sharing that message.
She hopes to speak at churches, women’s groups, and mental health events to advocate for both awareness and grace — for victims, families, and those living with mental illness.
As for whether a second book is in the works, she isn’t sure yet.
“That’s yet to be seen,” she said. “But for now, I just want to be obedient to where this story leads.”
