It only took 10 minutes for Stephen Paddock to claim the lives of 59 innocent victims at the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival in Las Vegas on October 1. But overcoming the pain and trauma of that night will take a lifetime for those who made it out alive.
More than 500 people flooded Las Vegas area emergency rooms with injuries that were straight out of a battlefield.
Healing will take time, but we know that God has an incredible way of taking our wounds and turning them into weapons.
It’s the physical healing that many still have yet to face. And the cost of repairing a war-torn body is a burden that no one should have to carry.
The Clark County Commission Chair from Las Vegas, Steve Sisolak, set up a GoFundMe campaign with a $15 million goal for survivors of this heinous attack.
Survivors like Matt Lewan, who was shot in the shoulder. The bullet tore through an artery which had to be repaired by removing a vein from Matt’s leg, and his internal bleeding caused his lungs to fill with blood.
Survivors like Chelsea Romo, who is awaiting a cornea transplant to save her right eye. The 28-year-old mother of two is currently legally blind as doctors were unable to salvage her left eye, which was terribly damaged from metal shrapnel.
And survivors like Jonathan Smith, who helped to save an estimated 30 people before being shot in the neck. The bullet still remains where it was first lodged, as doctors feared removing it would do more harm than good.
We can’t turn back time and take away the life-changing scars these survivors have to live with. But we can continue to help.
Each survivor has a fundraising site set up on their behalf, as well as Steve Sisolak’s $15 million fundraiser. As a whole, we can come together and unite as one country who takes care of one another.
Visit the Las Vegas Victims General Fund today for more information, and SHARE this important cause with your friends. Together, we are #VegasStrong.
