On the eve of the anniversary of the tragic Parkland shooting, patriciapadauy, mother of Joaquin “Guac” Oliver, reflects on her activism the past two years with changetheref, the organization she created in honor of her son.
: a non-profit organization that empowers the next generation of leaders through art and non-violent creative expression. Here, Patricia describes what it's like to approach the two-year anniversary of her son's death, and how she hopes to continue inspiring people across the country to make a change.
This is not something that you can sugar coat—it's a tragedy. My husband and I had to do something to make people understand. It's not political. This is social. This is emotional. I didn't lose a contract, I didn't lose a job. I lost my son. I lost my love. And that love doesn't come with money. Money doesn't bring Joaquin back. We need to feel safe in every single way, in every single place.
Patricia and Manuel in front of The Underground in North Carolina, where they hosted a showing of"GUAC: My Son, My Hero."Right now, we are also putting on a play starring my husband called"GUAC: My Son, My Hero" that began in Miami in September. It's about Joaquin, and I'm always in the audience. We try to show the way we were as a regular family [before this happened]. So, it's a dad telling the story of a family.
Joaquin is a very friendly kid. He's a great leader. He has a bunch of friends. He was always in love with school and every school activity. He was the one who guided his classmates. I met a few of them. After what happened, they came up to me and said,"Wow, you don't know how much Joaquin meant to me." And that is beautiful. He was lucky to always be surrounded by friends and family. He tried his best to always be with somebody.
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Alex Jones says White House insider told him Trump will pardon Roger Stone after sentencingConspiracy theorist Alex Jones told his radio audience Tuesday that a White House insider said President Donald Trump plans to pardon his former campaign adviser Roger Stone, currently awaiting sentencing on multiple felony charges related to Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Read more »
The Worst Training Advice Ever Given to Runners, As Told by GifsWe’re just as confused by the origin of this horrible advice as you are.
Read more »
Nikki Bella Shares How She Told Artem Chigvintsev She Was PregnantThe couple co-hosted ET on Wednesday, and opened up about how they found out they were expecting their first child together.
Read more »
'Multiple Doctors Told Me They Wouldn't See Me Because I Was Too Overweight'Stigma and shame almost kept Laura E. Burns from getting the medical care she deserved.
Read more »
Missouri police officer told to 'tone down your gayness' reaches $10 million settlement, gets promotionMissouri police officer told to 'tone down your gayness' reaches $10 million settlement, receives promotion.
Read more »