As most of you know we were at the concert in Las Vegas during the mass shooting. It was our third year in a row and a weekend we truly looked forward to. My love for country music and Vegas in the same spot for 3 days? Who could ask for more?? 

 

We were having an amazing time. So many artists rocked the house. Eric Church, Sam Hunt, Jake Owen and of course, one of my favorites, Jason Aldean. I clearly remember after the second or third song of his set, he told us he wasn't the type of guy that danced around the stage or talked a lot. He was just going to play his music and put on a hell of a show for us. Everyone started cheering and dancing around in anticipation of his next songs. He started singing “When She Says Baby" and a few seconds into the song it sounded like fireworks.  Everyone kind of looked around and didn't see anything and went back to dancing.  The second time the sounds went off the girl right next to me fell to the ground and her leg was covered in blood. That is when we knew they were bullets. Mass pandemonium broke out. The gunshots just kept coming and they wouldn’t stop. There was nowhere to hide for cover. 

 

I can tell you the horror of what happened to my group and how we were separated and where we ran, but I've realized all 22,000 concert goers have a different story to tell. A different point of view and different horrific visions of the people they saw. What I can tell you though, is that we tried to help a young man lying on the ground with a gunshot wound. Once we got out of there, we helped load him on a pick up truck, all the while promising him that he would be okay. Two days later, I found out he didn't make it and it crushed me to my core. 

 

If you were there, you know the fear and terror of that night. I've learned it will take a very long time to recover from this tragedy. The gunshots and screams and visions of innocent souls lying on the ground will forever torment us. I encourage all of us to get help and talk to a therapist in hopes of healing. We will all forever share a bond because of this horrific tragedy. I remember not wanting to take the route 91 wristband off because I felt like I was wearing it for all of us. The survivors, the victims and the angels taken from us too soon. When I saw other people with it on in the airport, I remember the comforting looks like "I know what you are going through and we will be okay".

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To all the families who lost an angel, this is for you. I struggled to come up with something that would not only raise money for the victims, but also honor the 58 angels who left us too soon. I hope we can wear them with pride and in doing so provide comfort to each other because it is not only the survivors and the victims who experienced this tragedy but the families and loved ones as well. The whole world did! To all of the first responders who ran into that massacre, THANK YOU. You are all heroes. I saw so many good people (civilians also) tending to people and helping in the midst of gunfire. There are no words that can describe the fear we felt or horror we saw that night, but please know you are not alone in the grieving process. I'm scared, I don't sleep, I have panic attacks, I'm angry, I'm remorseful, I have survivors guilt. The most important thing for me to hear from people is that I am normal for feeling this way. So if this story or website can touch one person, I know together we can touch and help thousands more. 

 

Please purchase these bracelets so we can help the victims. The bracelets are purple because it was the color of the Route 91 wristband we all wore. I created them in hopes of helping us heal and bringing a little good to the world in this devastating time. We are #vegasstrong. 

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You can choose to purchase only the bracelet or the bracelet with an additional donation (all options include free shipping). All net proceeds will go to the National Compassion Fund. Please feel free to visit their website at nationalcompassionfund.org to learn more about them. Thank you in advance for your support.

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