“It affected everyone in the community, one way or another,” says Olga Molina, an associate professor of social work at �鶹ԭ��.

Seven years later, the pain still can be very real for people and they may still need time to process and recover from their experience, especially around the tragedy date, Molina says.

“It’s not something you can say ‘Get over it,’ ” she says. “This experience is going to be a long-term life experience for these survivors.”

George Jacinto, a retired associate professor of social work, says trauma can be experienced in a variety of ways, and it is not exclusive to only those who experienced the shooting first-hand.

“Many may experience secondary trauma, including relatives, close friends, first responders, those providing psychotherapy and assistance to those who were injured, killed or present during the events,” he says.

What to Look for in Others

It is important that people are aware of how trauma can manifest in different ways in people.

“People who have gone through trauma tend to isolate themselves,” Molina says. “For others, it means going back to their therapist because sometimes the memories are unbearable and lead to nightmares, not being able to sleep at night, anxiety, depression and startled responses.”

Tracy Wharton, a former faculty member in the School of Social Work who provided support and counseling services after the Pulse shooting, advises that people ask questions when they notice a friend or family member’s behavior beginning to change or they start talking about death or revenge.

“There is a myth that if you ask, you’re giving them ideas,” she says. “And that’s wrong; you should ask questions. The taboo we have about reaching out to help, that has to end, that has to stop.”

Where to Go for Help

Even more than showing love and support to those around you, it is important to show yourself love and support as you process your grief and emotions, Wharton says.

“You have to grieve. You have those emotions and that is normal,” she says. “Be kind to yourself. Just take a moment and take a deep breath or two.”

If you need additional help, here are the resources available for students.

Offers free, comprehensive psychological services for all currently enrolled students.
Crisis hotline: 407-823-2811

Offers free, confidential and 24/7 advocacy and support for all members of the �鶹ԭ�� community.
407-823-1200

A clinical research center dedicated to the study of all facets of anxiety, trauma and PTSD.
407-823-3910

For off-campus resources that are available to the public, check out the following.

Orlando United Counseling
Offers confidential, personalized, long-term counseling to anyone impacted by the Pulse nightclub shootings.
407-898-0110

The Center
Offers free walk-in counseling on Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Thursdays between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
407-228-8272

Offers counseling services in English and Spanish.
407-382-9070

Offers free and conditional emotional support 24/7 to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress.
1-800-273-TALK (8255)

Orlando United

For those looking to gather with others affected by the tragedy, the following events are open to the public.

Orange County Regional Museum Pulse Exhibit Tour | June 12 | Noon-2 p.m.
The tour will provide a safe space for contemplation, remembrance, and healing as we stand together in support of the affected individuals, their families and the wider community. Please note that space is limited, and registration is required to secure your spot. Sign up at

Student Union, Starbucks, & Pride Commons Acts of Love and Kindness | June 13 | 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
“Acts of Love & Kindness” is a homegrown movement that inspires the Central Florida community, and beyond, to spread love and kindness by supporting those in need. Stop by any of the locations and write down your commitments to spread love and kindness on different colored hearts. These hearts will be assembled into a rainbow flag that will be displayed at the breakfast the following morning.

Fairwinds Alumni Center Remembrance Breakfast | June 14| ��9-11:30 a.m.

Campus partners and community members will unite to provide their heartfelt words of support, understanding, and encouragement. Together, we will create a space of compassion and empathy, fostering healing and reflection. Breakfast and refreshments will be provided.

Born and raised in Punta Gorda, a small town on the west coast of Florida in between Naples and Sarasota, Lawson explored his creativity growing up, but hadn’t really thought of it as a future career path.

“I was always drawing very macabre things, because I was a gay teen in the closet,” Lawson says. “But I never really explored it until I got to college because back then it was like I had to become a dentist or a doctor.”

Lawson, who met his now-husband during their sophomore year of high school, was bullied growing up for being gay long before he even came out. Because of this, he and his husband dated secretly for a few years until officially making their relationship public following graduation.

“It was more of a survival thing; I was just denying it because I didn’t want to have to confront other people or myself,” Lawson says.

After high school graduation, Lawson attended Florida Gulf Coast University before transferring to Valencia College to major in architecture. But once he realized he was having more fun building actual models, he took advantage of the program and switched his major to art by the time he arrived at �鶹ԭ�� in 2014.

“Coming to �鶹ԭ�� was a great experience for my work and growth,” Lawson says. “I just never really felt the sense of community that I feel in Orlando anywhere else. For me, �鶹ԭ�� was the right choice.”

The decision Lawson made to switch from architecture to art was in large part due to the joy he found in the creation of tangible objects.

“I think I have control issues, even still, because so much of my life and coming out felt out of control,” Lawson says. “So I think for me, having that control over tangible clay and making sculptures, it makes me feel a little more stable.”

During his years at �鶹ԭ��, Lawson was able to implement a community aspect to his work by doing more outreach-driven projects, taking his initial vision and allowing others to participate in its execution.

Shortly after the Pulse tragedy in Orlando on June 12, 2016, Lawson and several of his friends came across an article that said a long-standing FDA ban had been lifted. The ban in question specifies, “Men who have had sex with other men (MSM), at any time since 1977 (the beginning of the AIDS epidemic in the United States) are currently deferred as blood donors.” When Lawson showed up to donate, however, it became clear that the article was false — the ban was still very much in place.

“We wanted to help. We wanted to donate blood and help our brothers and sisters. But we couldn’t,” he says.

Most of is a response to his own anger. And being turned away from donating blood and doing all he could to help the victims of Pulse made him angry. So he got to work creating the sculpture Better Blood.

“Artists have a task in society to paint the revolution in a way that people can connect with.” — Forrest Lawson ’18

“Artists have a task in society to paint the revolution in a way that people can connect with,” Lawson says. “I want to use the platform that I have in whatever capacity that I have to communicate that ignorance and hatred are not acceptable.”

While creating Better Blood was a helpful experience for Lawson to express his frustration, he was still eager to create something that would memorialize the Pulse tragedy and honor the victims through his art.

This motivation would eventually become 6/12/2016, which involves 49 cubes with the names of the victims hand-stamped and their dates of birth. The cubes also contain the two commonalities between each of the 49 victims — their death date and the wristband they were wearing the night of the shooting. Lawson posted a nationwide call for people to submit their response to the tragedy and each of the narratives selected are juxtaposed to a name and wristband.

Putting together 6/12/2016 took Lawson about five months. He describes it as a long and emotionally exhausting process.

“It definitely made me confront a lot of feelings that I hadn’t yet,” Lawson says. “I had feelings of alienation and separation anxiety after the shooting. Pulse was actually the first club that I’d ever gone to. So it was strange, especially going there and seeing the pictures. I don’t think there’s ever going to be a time where I’ll fully process it, but doing this at least did make me confront it.”

“I had feelings of alienation and separation anxiety after the shooting. …�� I don’t think there’s ever going to be a time where I’ll fully process it, but doing this [sculpture] at least did make me confront it.” — Forrest Lawson ’18

In May, Lawson headed to Lake City, South Carolina, with 6/12/2016 to compete in the , which honors artists of the southeast with a week’s worth of celebration and competition. This year’s event involved 400 artists showing pieces over the course of eight days, culminating in 12 awards presented.

Lawson recalls feeling relieved after the smaller-in-dollar-amount prizes had been awarded because he was nervous about having to get up onstage and give a speech. He hadn’t begun to fathom he’d be the recipient of the grand prize of $50,000.

“I whimpered and I cried in front of 400 people,” Lawson says while describing the surreal moment of his win.

Lawson says he will use the winnings to help pay off student loans and his upcoming move to the University of Georgia where he’ll soon be starting the MFA program.

Lawson knows that his success is due in large part to his willingness to push past doubters or those who may root against him by turning that negativity into something beautiful. His advice to up-and-coming artists is to do the same, even when that negativity may be on the inside.

“Research, read a lot, learn about galleries you should be in touch with. And stick with it,” he says. “It’s so cliché, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t real. Don’t let your inner saboteur talk you out of being creative if that’s what you’re meant for.”

This isn’t the saying that comes to mind when thinking of treatment facilities dedicated to anxiety, trauma and PTSD. But it certainly has been the case for a one-of-a-kind clinical research center at �鶹ԭ�� dedicated to treating those areas for combat veterans and military personnel.

Deborah Beidel joined �鶹ԭ�� faculty in 2007. Four years later, the Pegasus professor of psychology and medical education founded �鶹ԭ�� RESTORES, which has changed hundreds of lives since its inception. Through virtual reality, patients are confronted with triggers. They see bombs detonate and smell smoke or gunfire. It’s like being on the front lines in Iraq or Afghanistan, but instead patients are on �鶹ԭ��’s campus.

“How do you get over a fear of driving? You have to drive,” says Beidel, who is also the director of �鶹ԭ�� RESTORES. That’s the mentality applied in the intensive outpatient format she and her staff use at the clinic.

Since it opened, the clinic has provided no-cost therapy to more than 300 veterans and active duty military and more recently, worked with first responders and victims of mass shootings. Their work has earned national praise and support, including receiving part of the largest alumni gift and being named the winner of the Spring 2018 Marchioli Collective Impact Innovation Award for “creating community impacts through partnerships.”

In the clinic, patients are exposed to realistic, individualized, virtual-reality therapy five days a week for three consecutive weeks — a format avoided in the past for its intensity. It’s a stark contrast from what’s the norm in PTSD therapy. Combined with daily group-therapy sessions on anger management, depression, and socialization, the results show speak for themselves. Sixty-six percent of the first 100 patients treated at �鶹ԭ�� RESTORES no longer had symptoms of PTSD after the three-week treatment, and six months later, only one patient had relapsed. Only 2 percent of patients dropped out of therapy.

“We have military personnel seeking us out from not only all-around Florida, but all over the U.S.,” says Beidel. “One veteran literally used his last dollar to buy a plane ticket to come to Florida. He walked to our clinic from the airport. If that doesn’t show we’re providing a needed service, I don’t know what would.”

Aware of the need for expanding and improving services, Beidel partnered with Clint Bowers, a fellow Pegasus professor and national expert in the area of training science, to expand offerings for first responders, including educational workshops on peer support training.

On June 12, 2016, �鶹ԭ�� RESTORES received a phone call from the Orlando Fire Department: “We need you down here right now.”��It was just a few hours after a gunman walked into the Pulse nightclub, killing 49 people and injuring another 53.��Throughout the next week, �鶹ԭ�� RESTORES conducted debriefings for the general community and for first responders, and it established a treatment program for first responders and mass shooting victims. And since that time, it has helped 100 first responders and dozens of victims of traumatic events, including survivors of Pulse, Las Vegas and Parkland, FL.

Although started as a research and treatment program for veterans, �鶹ԭ�� RESTORES is committed to continuing their efforts to provide services not only to veterans, active duty personnel and first responders, but also to all Florida citizens affected by traumatic events.

Beidel says she is proud to be supplying the workforce with individuals who have this unique skill set. That’s why she makes it a point to recruit veterans to the doctoral program, as they are committed to working in the VA after they graduate and giving back to their fellow veterans. And other doctoral students witness the impact of this work firsthand and often seek positions where they can serve veterans and first responders after graduation.

“We want to give people their lives back,” says Beidel. “The trauma memory won’t go away, but it shouldn’t dictate every aspect of their life. And we will be here until no one else needs us.”

Nominations for the Fall 2018 Marchioli Collective Impact Innovation Award are due September 21. This award goes to an individual or small team each fall and spring semester through 2019 for their innovative initiatives, programs or projects tied to the Collective Impact Strategic Plan that can be implemented across the university.

�������Dz�’s 26 Pebbles was created as a response to the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary shooting in Connecticut. As a socially active individual, Ulloa felt a need to shine a light on the tragedy that changed the lives of many people in Newtown, CT. He drove to Newtown and conducted interviews with the town’s people, and the play is a composition of their words.

Theatre faculty member Be Boyd is directing the play that consists of �鶹ԭ�� graduate and undergraduate students. According to Boyd, the students love working on the show because they want to honor the people who were shaken by the horrific event, and support �������Dz�’s commitment to sharing their stories.

“26 Pebbles is a piece about humanity at its best and worst, but mostly its best,” said Boyd, associate professor of undergraduate acting and BFA acting coordinator. “It’s an extremely touching, interactive and educational piece about the community’s spirit, their loss and the world’s response to their tragedy.”

Performances of 26 Pebbles are at 7 p.m.�� Oct. 5-7 and at 5 p.m. Oct. 8. The show will be hosted at the Orlando Repertory Theatre, 1001 E. Princeton St. The performances are free but require a ticket. More info is available at theatre.cah.ucf.edu/events.php?id=3916.

Ancillary events around the performances include:

Thursday, Oct. 5

Pre-show events: Hosted by Orlando United Assistance Center with a focus on education

Post-show events: Talk back with Eric Ulloa and a Q&A with audience members

Friday, Oct. 6

Post-show event: Talk back with the cast of 26 Pebbles and a Q&A with audience members

Saturday, Oct. 7

Post-show event: Talk back with the cast of 26 Pebbles and a Q&A with audience members

Sunday, Oct. 8

Post-show event: Forum discussion led by Orlando United Assistance Center

Thinking back over the past year, everything seems to be a whirlwind. The events of June 12, 2016 have changed my life, and my perspective on the world forever. It has also reinforced in my brain how much I want to be a police officer and how much of a passion I have for helping people. The tragic events that occurred have impacted Orlando’s community, your community, myself and how I identify with the world, affecting countries throughout the world. It has impacted how people view one another, the value of life and, for myself, has opened up to me the pain and heartbreak that one person can administer.

I come from a small hamlet in the UK, a place no one has ever heard of. It holds a post box and has a population of about 15 people. I have lived there for fifteen years and I think within that time, the police have visited once and that still seems to be the village gossip despite having occurred about ten years ago. My family are farmers, having farmed land for generations, and, in total, have moved about 20 miles in the last two centuries, with this current generation being the first to go to a university. I don’t know why, but something in me has always had a passion for helping those in need and since the age of five, I have wanted to be a police officer (before that, I wanted to be a fire fighter). I have always wanted to explore more, do more and see what the world may offer to me and, with these aspirations, I went to a university, enthusiastic for the future, eager for the opportunities that may be provided to me and excited for where my future was going to head.

I first heard of the trip to Florida and �鶹ԭ�� when I was looking at universities and it was one of the main reasons that I chose the University of Gloucestershire; the trip looked amazing and I knew instantly it was something I would like to participate in. Like how cool would it be to explore another country, completely immersing myself in their culture not only looking at the tourist areas of Florida or the parts that most others who travel there see, but delving into the hardships of living in a tourist location, considering Florida’s crime and how as an international community which is continuously changing, one identifies with society.

The trip was incredibly popular, with many people applying to participate and I was nervous that I wouldn’t be one of the 18 people that the trip would accommodate for. However, I was accepted and, as soon as I found this out, began counting down the days until June 3, 2016 when we would travel. We flew to Florida, animated for what the trip would hold for us and looking forward to getting away from the endless downpour of rain in England.

The first couple of days flew past in an absolute blur; I was having the time of my life and had absolutely fallen in love with Florida, its people and its culture. Everyone was so welcoming and, after the first seven days, I had never felt more at home or comfortable. We had our disagreements (especially considering American gun culture and the use of armed police; the idea of it was so foreign to me that it blew my mind) but apart from that, everything was going swimmingly. However, the part of the trip that I was most excited about was the ride along we were going on with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office Reserves Unit.

To start the ride along, we were driven to one of the police headquarters where we were assigned our officers. The evening I had been waiting for had arrived. I was assigned to officer Jay Rosario. We went off together, laughing and joking, excited for what the night might hold for us. I was nervous about the trip but Jay put me instantly at ease.

The night was quiet; we didn’t attend many incidents but it was so interesting learning about the job. I asked question after question, never shutting up, always wanting to know more and more. I was so inquisitive about the role of the job, asking all those annoying theory questions from points that I have learnt from my time at university.

We were on our way back to the hotel when a suspected burglary call came through and Jay took it. As we were on our way to the burglary, another call got placed out: a code 43, an active shooting. We were placed on this call, with all officers being required on scene. Jay turned the car around and sped off as more and more information was being relayed over the radio. The closer we got, the more I realized how big this was. Adrenaline was racing through my body and my palms were sweating as I tried to take everything in.

At one junction, Jay stopped the car and ran to the boot (trunk) and got out a large gun, and placed it in-between us. We traveled the rest of the way in silence, barely speaking two words to each other, deep in thought of what was going to happen and intently listening to the radio to try and work out what was occurring. We arrived at the scene and the sight was like no other I have ever seen before and one I never would want to see again. The road was full of police cars, red and blue canvassing the landscape for as far as the eye could see, flashing in a continuous cycle.

We pulled up to the scene and both got out of the car, both constantly vigilant, taking in all the sights and smells around us. Crouched behind a car, we tried to find out what was going on, asking other officers, guns drawn and at a heightened sense of awareness. I ended up talking to some of those who were injured and all fear and trepidation left me leaving me with one sole target; to help those that were in need to the best of my ability.

Reflecting on the following events that occurred, I don’t remember feeling anything but an overwhelming sense of need to help, which I think blocked out all other emotions. Like everyone else who was there, police officers and victims included, we did what needed to be done, not thinking of the consequences, but making sure we helped to the best of our ability. Back in the UK, I often get compared to a hero but I don’t see myself as that; I am just an average 21-year-old at the university who just happened to be on an exchange trip.

Before I came to Florida, I had a very negative view on American cop gun culture. I believed that it was unnecessary and that by getting rid of guns it would solve so many issues within society. I thought I knew better, comparing American culture to the UK’s, many of my lectures having been on the negative implications of armed police and the detrimental effects it can have upon the accountability and community trust within the force. I was adamant that the British way of policing was so much better. However, what I never counted on was the culture in America. I never thought of your constitution and what it meant to you, why you had guns and why armed police is so necessary. At home, we have one armed response unit for both Devon and Cornwall and if called, they could take up to 4 hours to get to an incident. The reaction speed of the police, their readiness to risk their lives and the overall commitment to their jobs is like nothing I have seen before. If they didn’t have guns, I dread to think of what the consequences would have been. I get it. I take my hat off to those officers who go out and protect your culture, lives and society and I find those efforts inspirational.

I learned many lessons during my time in Orlando and I think of the events and your people daily. The strength and resilience of the Floridian people has taught me how precious life is and how you should value the life you are provided with, living it to its fullest. The lives that were taken on June 12 are an incredible loss to society but I believe strongly that they live on through us, in our thoughts, our actions and how we treat others. Thoughts of Pulse plague me daily and draw out negative thoughts in myself causing me to doubt humanity and with mass shootings, murders and terrorist’s attacks becoming a daily topic of news stations and media outlets, it would be easy to let one become filled with hate. However, out of the darkness comes light and by looking at how a community comes together to become stronger, it proves to me that goodness will overrule hate leaving me with a glimmer of hope during my darker days.

For her assistance and bravery in helping others that night, Williamson received a Medal of Merit from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, presented by Reserve Chief Deputy and College of Health and Public Affairs Associate Dean Ross Wolf, last month in England. For his bravery during the tragedy, Rosario was awarded a Medal of Valor at the Orange County Sheriff’s Office from Sheriff Jerry L. Demings.

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On Friday, experts and first responders will gather at �鶹ԭ�� to share personal experiences, strategies for self-care, and more.

The event, “First Responders & Critical Incidents in a New World,” begins at 9 a.m. June 16, in room 101 of Classroom II, located adjacent to Memory Mall. Free parking is available in Garage H, and light refreshments will be provided.

Attendees are encouraged to , which is free of cost, on Eventbrite.

The seminar will be facilitated by Dr. Larry Barton, a distinguished professor of crisis management and public safety at �鶹ԭ��. He is the highest-rated instructor at the FBI Academy and U.S. Marshals Service and has studied critical incidents for more than 30 years.

Presentations and discussions will include:

Dr. Barton also will share an assessment of current threats and trends.

No police officer, EMT, nurse, physician or other first responder is immune to shock, sadness and lingering trauma, and Friday’s program intends to help attendees understand how to maintain their own sense of awareness in a critical incident and the days that follow.

The event is a partnership between the �鶹ԭ�� Police Department and �鶹ԭ�� University Relations.

Roulette, a senior studying political science at the �鶹ԭ��, is a contributing photojournalist at Orlando Weekly. Nearly a year ago, in the aftermath of the shootings that killed 49 people, he put his craft to work to document the dark time that struck Orlando.

His photos ranged from press briefings to vigils around the city for weeks to follow. One of his photos, taken from the roof of the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, is of hundreds of people who gathered for a vigil on the lawn in front of the arts center on June 13.

“You would think when you see a large crowd in the photo that it must have been loud,” he said. “In reality, it was silent. You could only hear bells ringing 49 times for each life taken, and Interstate 4 in the distance.”

That photo and more will be part of that is coming June 8-30 to the �鶹ԭ�� Art Gallery in the Visual Arts Building. An opening ceremony, including remarks from Pulse nightclub owner Barbara Poma, will be 4-6 p.m. June 8.

The gallery is part of Citizen Curator of Central Florida, an effort to engage the community with local museums, libraries and archives. Work from 22 local artists, plus work from organizations such as the Orlando Modern Quilt Guild and the GLBT History Museum of Central Florida, will be featured in the gallery.

“Resilience: Remembering Pulse” is the product of �鶹ԭ�� earning a nearly $25,000 grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to participate in Citizen Curator of Central Florida. �鶹ԭ�� applied for the grant before the tragedy at Pulse nightclub.

“When Pulse happened, we knew we wanted to do something to commemorate it,” said Keri Watson, curator of the gallery and assistant professor of art history. “The purpose of the grant was to increase community outreach and involvement, and we felt like this was a way to do both.”

More than 80 pieces have been submitted, including photographs, paintings, quilts and a replica of the angel wings that were used by the Angel Action Wings project to block protests at victims’ funerals. The gallery also will be archived online by �鶹ԭ��’s Regional Initiative for Collecting the History, Experiences and Stories of Central Florida, and by the Citizen Curator Project of Central Florida.

“Orlando was a safe space for me to come out when I was in my late teens and early 20s,” said Cassi Alexandra, a �鶹ԭ�� alumna and photographer whose portraits of Pulse survivors, family and community supporters and their stories will be included in “Resilience: Remembering Pulse.” “Photography has healed myself in many ways during this time, and I hope it helps the people I’ve photographed and helps educate the public.”

Among the art pieces also will be “The Lines That Join Us,” a photographic collection and narrative of people who got tattoos to commemorate the victims of Pulse. Photographer Carrie Moran, user-engagement librarian at the John C. Hitt Library, got the idea for the project while reflecting on her own Pulse tattoo she got in July 2016.

“I remember being in the car and catching a glimpse of my tattoo and thinking it would be great to get portraits of other people with their tattoos,” she said. “Several tattoo parlors created designs specific to Pulse and donated all the proceeds. That’s what I liked about the tattoos. I knew there had to be thousands of people.”

Moran heard from 150 people in just three days who were willing to participate in her project. Participants range from Pulse survivors and their families, to those who lost a loved one that night, to those who weren’t there but felt Pulse was a safe space for them.

“I woke up out of town that day and had to call and text a bunch of people to make sure they were alive,” said Moran. “I wanted something to capture that feeling and sense of community that came after. It made me feel like Orlando was my home for the first time.”

For more from the artists and a look at some of their work, see .

On June 12, 2016, 49 people were killed when a shooter opened fire in the nightclub in downtown Orlando. Among those killed were Juan Ramon Guerrero, a �鶹ԭ�� student, and Christopher Andrew Leinonen, a �鶹ԭ�� alumnus.

In the days and weeks following, the �鶹ԭ�� and Orlando community showed an outpouring of kindness to support the victims, their families and friends. At �鶹ԭ�� alone, 10 blood drives June 13-27 resulted in 424 donated units of blood and 74 new bone-marrow donor registrations.

�鶹ԭ��’s June 8 blood drive, in partnership with OneBlood, will be the largest blood-donation site in east Orlando in remembrance of Pulse.

Walk-ins are welcome, but to make a reservation for a certain time, visit .

The �鶹ԭ�� community also has responded to help search for a bone marrow donor for 20-month-old Korbyn Martinez, the son of a �鶹ԭ�� engineering graduate. Korbyn suffers from leukemia and needs a bone marrow transplant to survive.

Both efforts, in partnership with OneBlood, will continue on campus. Blood drives are scheduled 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, July 5, at the Student Union and the Veterans Commemorative Site on Memory Mall, with a Big Red Bus at each location. A bus will be stationed in front of the Student Union from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, July 6.

On Wednesday, members of the �鶹ԭ�� community also will be able to sign up to find out if they can help save a life on the “Be the Match” bone marrow transplant registry. Anyone age 18 to 44 can take a few minutes filling out a consent form and getting a cheek swab to see if their bone marrow could be the match that could help Korbyn or someone else in need.

The 424 units collected since the Pulse tragedy came from several small drives and a large community blood drive with 12 Big Red Buses on Monday, June 27, at Bright House Networks Stadium.

Two student volunteers, Kyra Clark and Justin Mendiguren, volunteered from start to finish at every blood drive in the response efforts.��Together, they have invested more than 80 hours of service. Additional volunteers are needed to help with on-campus blood drives.

For more information and a calendar of upcoming drives, visit or contact BloodDrives@ucf.edu or 407-823-3094.

The �鶹ԭ�� engineering alumna has spent the past year in and out of hospitals, watching her 20-month-old son, Korbyn, fight an aggressive form of leukemia that has taken away her “normal.”

Korbyn has endured more than a year of chemotherapy to fight acute lymphoblastic leukemia, or ALL, a cancer of the blood that starts in the bone marrow and spreads to the bloodstream. Even as he goes into remission, Korbyn’s doctors are still finding traces of leukemia.

“Even a few – five or six – of the cells is bad,” said Martinez, a 2006 �鶹ԭ�� graduate. “A bone marrow transplant is the next most effective treatment.”

Martinez’ miracle could be in your DNA. And she needs you to take just a few minutes to let the experts check – just by swabbing the inside of your cheek – during �鶹ԭ��’s #OrlandoUnited blood drive at Bright House Networks Stadium on Monday, June 27.

While 12 of OneBlood’s Big Red Buses take blood donations from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., the Martinez family clings to hope that Korbyn’s bone marrow match might be among those generous enough to give blood in honor of the June 12 mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub.

More information about the blood drive, including a link for making appointments, is available here.

Near the buses at the stadium will be a “Be The Match” tent. OneBlood staff will take cheek swabs from anyone wishing to be a potential donor for bone marrow. The process takes just a few minutes. Pre-registration is not required, and you do not have to donate blood on Monday to participate. The results are placed in a national registry, so there could be a match found for another person seeking a donor.

Once a donor is identified and confirmed as a match through additional tests, options include an outpatient procedure involving the pelvic bone with donors usually being discharged by the end of the day. Doctors say most people return to normal activities within a day or two. Another option is a series of stem-cell bone marrow extractions from the blood stream.

For the Martinezes, finding a donor would be “the miracle that we’re all waiting for.”

The family learned Korbyn had leukemia after he repeatedly got fevers and ear and sinus infections while at daycare. His mother said the frequency was troubling enough, but while antibiotics initially worked, he was sick again within a few weeks.

Finally, one physician requested bloodwork on the baby – and that unraveled the mystery. Korbyn’s white cell count was far above normal. Mutated white blood cells were multiplying uncontrollably in his bloodstream. Within days, he had his first round of chemotherapy.

“We couldn’t even process this or grieve,” said his mom. “We just had to act.”

Everything changed for the family then, she said.

She went from a full-time engineer to part time. Her husband, Bryce, works full time. Both juggle the doctors’ appointments and hospital stays.

Korbyn had three rounds of chemotherapy during the past year. His mother says she’s constantly amazed at how strong he is and how few side effects he’s had.

“Korbyn keeps us strong. He’s taken this thing by storm,” she said. “No matter what we give him, he just takes it.”

It’s still not easy. With his immune system compromised, the family home is a germ-free zone. They can’t go out in public and Korbyn can’t play with other children. They leave their shoes outside and change clothing immediately when they return from work or the grocery store.

“We can’t take him places like Disney,” she said. “So we do what we can to keep him happy.”

If a donor is found, said Martinez, they would be “giving us back our ‘normal.’ For us to get that back would be huge, huge.”

If not, she hopes another family might see a cure.

“It’s not just for Korbyn,” she said. “It could be for someone else, some other family. You could change someone’s whole life by just giving a few minutes of your time.”