Country Strong Survivors Podcast

Shawna had not only attended Route 91 all four years; she was also part of the "Squad" that helped promote the Route 91 Harvest Festival. Shawna talks about the concert, her healing journey, struggling with guilt and using her talents to start organizing get-togethers for fellow survivors.  Shawna along with a small team of others took on the massive task of putting together the Route 91 One-Year Reunion.  Shawna poured herself into helping others heal.

Following the events of another shooting at a church in Texas today, we thought we would upload this church service by Pastor Ken Graves of Calvary Chapel Bangor Maine. Tom Durell first heard Pastor Ken Graves speak at a Calvary Chapel Men's Conference in 2005 at the Anaheim Convention Center. This service addresses the mass shooting that took place at the Sutherland Springs Church in 2017. https://www.ccbangor.org/

Dennis Guerrero was working as a photographer for Live Nation Entertainment at the Route 91 Country Music Festival the night of the October 1st, 2017 massacre. After returning home from the concert, Dennis wanted to help a couple of families who lost loved ones that night, his passion to help grew into something much larger than he expected, LOVEWINS. Since launching LOVEWINS, Dennis and his team have organized toy drives, fundraisers, organized get-togethers, and provided support for survivors of other mass tragedies such as Borderline and Saugus.

Loretta Baylos is a wife, mother of six, grandmother, and Cervical Cancer Survivor. Loretta was diagnosed with an aggressive form of Glandular Adena Carcinoma. After going through a radical hysterectomy with lymph node removal, she began her campaign of making Cervical Cancer Awareness and other gynecological cancers her mission in life. Loretta started a website called Teal Ladies Move Mountains and Hats of Faith. 

Tommy Maher, a Long Island, New York Firefighter, started The Honor Network after hearing about the Route 91 massacre that took place on October 1st, 2017. Tommy set out on a road trip to Honor the 58 people who lost their lives that night by offering random acts of kindness to random strangers, but his journey didn't end there. Tommy shares stories of his travels and interactions with people from across the country.

Julie Dove and Tom Durell talk about life before, during, and after the October 1st, 2017 Route 91 Country Music Festival massacre. Julie was shot in the back and Tom helped her get out of the concert venue and to safety. Since that night, Tom & Julie have organized the Route 91 Memorial Ride, the Country Strong Survivors Podcast, and are now working on the Country Strong Foundation which will provide survivor support and networking for any future mass casualty situations.

Vee McDaniel lost her brother to cancer in 2016, then was with her best friend, Debby Allen, at the Route 91 concert when Debby lost her son, Christopher Roybal. Vee talks about her Love for God and how her faith in Him gave her the endurance to make it through the darkest time in her life.

Debby Allen was at the Route 91 Harvest Festival with her son Christopher Roybal on the weekend of October 1st, 2017 celebrating Christopher's upcoming 29th birthday. Debby reflects on her and Christopher's relationship, the fun they had leading up to the night of October 1st, and life after losing her son. Christopher was a combat vet who served in the United States Navy as a K-9 handler. On July 18th, 2017 Christopher wrote a post on his Facebook page titled, "What's it like being shot at?".

Natalie was at the Route 91 Harvest Festival on the weekend of October 1st, 2017, she had just passed her 10th year anniversary of being cancer free. During the first few rounds of gunfire, Natalie was struck in the face by one of the bullets fired at the crowd of concert goers. Since that night Natalie has had nine reconstructive surgeries and is scheduled for a tenth. During her recovery process Natalie began a recovery journal set up by her husband, Jason, on a facebook page titled, I am a Warrior - Natalie Grumet @warriornatalie. Natalie is the first of the Route 91 Survivors to share her story on the Country Strong Survivors Podcast.