My life changed forever on a beautiful night in Las Vegas October 1, 2017, when 58 People were killed and more than 800 people were shot or injured in front of me, next to me, and INSTEAD of me.
A bullet whistled to the left of my ear. I heard it, I felt it, and it missed me. I am one of the survivors, and it was simply luck. My life shattered into a million pieces that night when everything that I believed about my safety, my security and my country was blown up. Brain fog, night terrors and PTSD are just pieces of what I have had to deal with in trying to put the pieces of my life back together. Through lots of therapy and work I am now able to advocate for survivors and try to be a voice for change in my community.
I started a survivor support group with people from my shooting, and we have been able to heal together, cry together and come together when new tragic shootings occur. My heart breaks every day with the senseless loss of lives because of gun violence in our country. I now live my life with “ubuntu,” which means “I am because we are.” Together we heal, alone we suffer. I chose every day to live a life of hope, healing and change. First I was a victim, then a survivor, and now I am a warrior.