Being a shooting survivor is traumatizing and terrifying, often leading to victims losing the sense of safety in their surroundings, writes Robin Gorneau for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Gorneau, a Malvern resident, speaks from personal experience. Forty years ago, she was shot at point-blank range and was left for dead during a workplace robbery in Delaware. She also witnessed one of her colleagues get killed that day.

The experience had a profound effect on her life. Nearly four decades later, she still seeks a feeling of safety and security every day.

For the first 10 years of her recovery, she could not speak about the incident without breaking down in tears. But in the years after, she managed to learn how to live with the victimization and not feel constantly terrorized by the memories.

However, she did not begin speaking about her experience until a young family friend went through a similar situation. She realized then that she could help her to not feel alone.

“They may be surprised by who else understands what they are experiencing,” wrote Gorneau.

Read more about Robin Gorneau in The Philadelphia Inquirer here.

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