#dearorlando
June 12, 2016. Mothers lost children. Friends survived, others didn't. First responders risked their lives. Below, read in their own words, the stories of those who lived through and still live with the Orlando Pulse nightclub shooting.
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The music was cut off, just the disco lights. No sounds.
I went to sleep. 2:06, I got a text. I looked at it. It said,"I love you Mom."
I just wanted to order turkey.
When I was younger, I had nightmares where someone’s chasing me.
I couldn't sleep and those were the nights I prayed the most to God.
That was her last meal.
Everything hit me when I was taking my uniform off. I was out of it.
There were people on hold for ten minutes, minimum, waiting to get answers.
The first three shots: I thought it was music.
Out of the club was a whole other war zone. Anybody in there and injured was laid in the lawns, in the streets. There were like 100 cop cars.
I was in a coma for three weeks. On July 3rd, I woke up. The first person I saw was my mother. She was right there next to me because my mother never left my side. I remember seeing her and she started crying.
I was closing out my checks and about to collect my tips. It was 2:00 a.m. I was talking to my friend and I remember it sounding like a broken speaker. It was crazy how loud everything was. Once we realized it was gunshots, we hit the floor and just prayed that it would stop.
I’ve got a bad feeling something might happen.” Me and my brother went out so she said, “I love you guys so much.”
Honestly, it's been a rough year. I go to counseling. I think it's more the fact that I don't take anything for granted anymore.
On the day of my wedding my son was so happy. He did my hair and makeup. It was his plan to make me look "spectacular" on my wedding day.
I went to the bathroom. Within minutes, I started hearing all those gunshots.
We tried to negotiate with him. He wasn't answering our phone calls anymore.
Before I lost Amanda, it was all him, every year since 2001, I never stopped crying.
I've went through a therapy and it was so intense because not only-- I guess it’s survivor's guilt That's what I've been told, I can’t even define it.
I was still just trying to process that. About five seconds later that the first one came in the door and the next one came in the door and they just never stopped. Just didn't stop and it was devastating injuries.
I went to my mom and I said, "Look, I love you. I'm sorry.
They stopped the recording because they thought that he was ill.
I've never felt a dream that real.
That was Stanley. In life everyone needs a Stanley.
“For my babies, I would fight.”
I finally grabbed the CD and I threw it out of the window.
“Hey, but where is that?” “Pulse.” Oh my God.
"Mmhmm, you know it."
We used to go up there for fun.
And they did it very fast. Four days later.
To the people we met in Orlando,
The survivors and the eulogy givers. The officers and the nurses. The sisters and mothers, brothers and fathers. The best friends and colleagues. The lovers, partners and spouses...
Read Dear World founder, Robert X Fogarty's letterThe music was cut off, just the disco lights. No sounds.
I went to sleep. 2:06, I got a text. I looked at it. It said,"I love you Mom."
Everything hit me when I was taking my uniform off. I was out of it.
There were people on hold for ten minutes, minimum, waiting to get answers.
The first three shots: I thought it was music.
Out of the club was a whole other war zone. Anybody in there and injured was laid in the lawns, in the streets. There were like 100 cop cars.
I was in a coma for three weeks. On July 3rd, I woke up. The first person I saw was my mother. She was right there next to me because my mother never left my side. I remember seeing her and she started crying.
I was closing out my checks and about to collect my tips. It was 2:00 a.m. I was talking to my friend and I remember it sounding like a broken speaker. It was crazy how loud everything was. Once we realized it was gunshots, we hit the floor and just prayed that it would stop.
I’ve got a bad feeling something might happen.” Me and my brother went out so she said, “I love you guys so much.”
Honestly, it's been a rough year. I go to counseling. I think it's more the fact that I don't take anything for granted anymore.
On the day of my wedding my son was so happy. He did my hair and makeup. It was his plan to make me look "spectacular" on my wedding day.
I went to the bathroom. Within minutes, I started hearing all those gunshots.
We tried to negotiate with him. He wasn't answering our phone calls anymore.
Before I lost Amanda, it was all him, every year since 2001, I never stopped crying.
I've went through a therapy and it was so intense because not only-- I guess it’s survivor's guilt That's what I've been told, I can’t even define it.
I was still just trying to process that. About five seconds later that the first one came in the door and the next one came in the door and they just never stopped. Just didn't stop and it was devastating injuries.