10 years later: Aurora theater survivor supports others through own healing journey
For many, coping with what happened in our state on July 20, 2012 hasn't been easy. Jenalise Long was in the Aurora theater when the shots rang out, and even 10 years later is working to cope with what happened.
"I can't believe it's been 10 years," Long told CBS4's Dominic Garcia. "I remember it like it was yesterday. Around this time, I normally just block it out until these past couple of years when I've tried to deal with everything."
One way Jenalise tends to her mental health is through physical health. She's part of the group Pull Your Heart Out, a mentorship program using strength sports to prevent drug addiction and violence within the at-risk youth and underserved population.
"It helps release those endorphins enough to make me feel level," Long said. "And if I'm really frustrated or I'm feeling triggered, it's the one thing that will always get me out of my head enough to function the rest of the day."
She and many others are trying to make sure mental health resources are available to victims of the Aurora theater shooting 10 years later. Megan Dearman and Della Curry head up the Colorado Resilient Life Center in Aurora. Their goal is to connect people with mental health services and organizations like Pull Your Heart Out.
"Our basic plan is to be the umbrella," Curry told CBS4's Dominic Garcia. "To be the place where when you're in a mental health crisis having to navigate insurance and this therapy and that therapy and who do I call and what do I do."
They say, even 10 years later, there is a huge need for mental health services, which makes what Jenalise is doing so important.
"I feel like it's my purpose at this point because there has to be a reason I survived it," Long said. "So I put a lot of my energy into trying to stop these events from happening in the future and also helping people who have experienced trauma."
For more information, you can visit both the Colorado Resilient Life Center website and Pull Your Heart Out website.
