'We have that unfortunate shared experience and there's some sort of wisdom that comes through that that you can't get from the average person who hasn't experienced something as traumatic. We are such a connected community.'
10 years since Sandy Hook, this 17-year-old opens up on being a survivor
As that list grew, so too did the number of student survivors of school gun violence, a community that is estimated to now total thousands of people.The survivors of school shootings describe themselves as being in a club that no one wants to join and one that should not exist., Missy Jenkins Smith unknowingly became one of the first members of the club.Adam Wolffbrandt/ABC News
One of those survivors, Heather Martin, said she too remembers boxes and boxes of letters of support from around the world that descended on Columbine survivors after the shooting. "We wanted to supply people with a support we didn't have access to in 1999," said Martin. "It started with probably 150 Columbine members and now it is up to approximately 1,800 members and they represent upwards of 145 different survivor communities."
"The reason why I want to reach out is because I understand how difficult it is to navigate, especially at a young age," said Kaufman. "Reaching out to other students and giving them my advice has also helped me heal, because when I tell other people, 'This is what you should be doing,' it reminds me what I haven't been doing, like taking care of yourself and letting yourself process it.
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