ABSTRACT
As victims of armed intruders, Caia DelaVergne and Darien Richardson fought hard to survive. They had very different outcomes. Caia presents a vivid example of the body’s intricate and innate stress response, also known as fight-flight-freeze. But healing is our natural inclination once we are no longer in danger. Caia said, “I finally felt like I could breathe” once the perpetrator had been tried and convicted. When she felt safe, her body and mind returned to a place of balanced regulation. Judi Richardson’s story illustrates the healing power of family support and emotional attunement as her daughter Darien fought to live. Nurturing relationships facilitate the healing process in multiple ways. In the Richardson family, all members came together to dedicate themselves to helping Darien recover. Both stories illustrate the echoes of trauma that follow them throughout their daily lives as they struggle to make sense of gun violence.
