CHARLOTTE, N.C. — In the Charlotte region, more and more people are becoming victims of gun violence.
It's a problem that leaves devastating impacts.
Story of Survival
About four years ago, Holly Wright never thought she would end up at Atrium Health's Level I Trauma Center from a gunshot wound.
For Wright, you don't have to see her wounds from gun violence to hear her pain of living through it.
“Right before I was shot, the shotgun was pointed straight at my face," Wright said.
Through tears, she said that then a miracle happened.
"I felt someone touch my shoulders and turn my body, so I wasn’t shot in the face,” explained Wright.
The incident happened in January of 2019 while sitting in her car outside of her co-worker's house. Two men approached her car, attempted to rob her, then shot Wright.
To this day, the trauma takes a toll. It's not just loud noises that trigger Wright, it's survivor's guilt too.
“Why am I still here when there are people out there that go through the same thing I did and they’re not here anymore,” Wright asks herself.
Addressing the Problem
Right now, there's a push to curb gun violence in Charlotte.
City leaders say gun violence is a problem that requires the community to focus on the root causes. Sometimes that starts with the person holding the gun.
“Those people need just as much help as the person going through the violence, they really do," Wright said.
And as Wright turns her trauma into purpose, she says that there needs to be more love and less hate.
“Violence does no good on either side -- they end up in jail, it hurts their family, I got shot, it hurt my family; it hurts everyone,” Wright added.
Atrium Health Seeking Solutions
Atrium Health's Trauma Survivors Network, or TSN, plays a critical role in mental health care after a traumatic injury, including injuries from gun violence.
“I am here to help other people who go through horrible things to let them know it’s okay and you can survive," Wright said.
Trauma exists beneath the violent incident that brought Wright to the hospital.
That trauma is where TSN comes in. The network helps connect people in order to provide support in addressing the difficult feelings sustained from traumatic events.
“Our patients have really high rates of post-traumatic stress disorder and depression,” Jessie Levy, Trauma Support Services Program Manager, said.
Levy says patients who are exposed to TSN have better outcomes.
While recovery is a physical trial, it also requires mental and emotional support.
“When their body heals that doesn’t mean their brain is healed," Levy said. "How do we get them the support they need, in our case mental health, or just some tools for their toolbox, mindfulness, coping skills, an understanding of what’s normal after an injury."
Wright says the program helped her out of the dark after becoming a victim of gun violence.
“There’s no judging and they listened and no-one tried to solve my problem,” Wright said.
Now, Wright shares her story as a part of her healing journey, showing that people can be resilient.
TSN is made up of 50 volunteers who are trauma survivors too.
This program supports victims' family members as well and it's free.
Contact Lexi Wilson at lwilson@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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