Parkland survivor celebrates 'shrapnel-free' face three months after school shooting
One of the teenage survivors of the school shooting in Parkland, Samantha Fuentes, announced on Saturday that she has reached a major step in her recovery process from the wounds inflicted on her during the Valentine's Day massacre in Florida.
Fuentes, 17, shared a triumphant picture of herself in a tweet — three months after the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High school — and announced that the last remnants of the shrapnel in her face had been removed.
A 19-year-old former student of Stoneman Douglas High, Nikolas Cruz, opened fire on the campus with his legally-bought AR-15 rifle, killing 17 people. Most of the victims of the massacre, which occurred on February 14, were students and teachers.
Fuentes, on Saturday, tweeted: "Regardless of the fact I look like I lost a fight, inside I’m winning in a way," she said while posting a picture of her bruised face which was partially bandaged.
"I’ve been struggling so hard to love my face again, thank you for all your support," she added in her tweet.
Reports state that Fuentes was left with a bullet wound in her thigh and shrapnel in her legs and face during the shooting.
Days after the massacre, the teenager, while talking to CNN, said that the shrapnel in her face would stay there permanently, according to reports.
"To remove them would be more invasive than to leave them," she said.
Fuentes, despite her wounds, participated in the anti-gun protests and gave an inspiring speech at the March for Our Lives rally in Washington. She reportedly threw up onstage after her speech.
"I just threw up on international television, and it feels great!” she proclaimed seconds later.
The teenager, shortly after throwing up, went on to lead the crowd in singing "Happy Birthday" for one of the Parkland victims, who was her classmate Nick Dworet. He would have turned 18 on that day, report state.
The survivors of the Parkland massacre triggered a nationwide movement against gun violence in the United States, called Never Again. The survivors also played a crucial role in organizing and leading the March for Our Lives rally, where hundreds of protesters gathered from across the country, asking for stricter gun control legislation.