BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — "I was a person who would never think that they needed help," Christopher Braden said during a press conference on Tuesday, but previously, he did need help.
He survived the Buffalo mass shooting with a gunshot wound to his leg. As he was being treated for the leg injury, he was also being treated for the emotional toll of surviving a mass shooting through the hospital’s BRAVE Trauma Recovery Center.
BRAVE stands for Buffalo Rising Against Violence and works with victims of violence, in particular gun violence.
On Tuesday, Braden helped the BRAVE Trauma Recovery Center celebrate the opening of its second site at 100 Leroy Avenue, just a few blocks from the hospital. It's an offsite office for outpatient treatment.
The BRAVE unit provides emergency support, clinical care and wraparound case management for victims of violence. It’s one of only two such trauma care programs in the state.
"They help me daily,” Braden said. “There are times that I can't even put my own sock on and I get frustrated and I get angry.”
He also shared that he found a way to give back to BRAVE. When he got married last year, he and his wife asked guests to make a donation to the program.
