Las Vegas shooting survivor’s shirt an ‘outside symbol of strength’ – VIDEO

Las Vegas Review-Journal

6 years ago

Oct. 1 shooting survivor Teche Bergeron, who was hit by shrapnel while escaping, talks about her experience at her home in Las Vegas on Friday, Aug. 17, 2018. Chase Stevens Las Vegas Review-Journal @csstevensphoto

Oct. 1 shooting survivor Teche Bergeron, who was hit by shrapnel while escaping, wears the denim shirt she wore that night at her home in Las Vegas on Friday, Aug. 17, 2018. Chase Stevens Las Vegas Review-Journal @csstevensphoto

Oct. 1 shooting survivor Teche Bergeron, who was hit by shrapnel while escaping, wears the boots she wore that night at her home in Las Vegas on Friday, Aug. 17, 2018. Chase Stevens Las Vegas Review-Journal @csstevensphoto

Oct. 1 shooting survivor Teche Bergeron, who was hit by shrapnel while escaping, puts on the denim shirt she wore that night at her home in Las Vegas on Friday, Aug. 17, 2018. Chase Stevens Las Vegas Review-Journal @csstevensphoto

The denim shirt that were worn by Teche Bergeron the night of Oct. 1 as she escaped the festival grounds in Las Vegas on Friday, Aug. 17, 2018. Bergeron was wounded by shrapnel during the shooting, and the bloodstains on her shirt were later covered up with an embroidery. Chase Stevens Las Vegas Review-Journal @csstevensphoto

The boots that were worn by Teche Bergeron the night of Oct. 1 as she escaped the festival grounds in Las Vegas on Friday, Aug. 17, 2018. Chase Stevens Las Vegas Review-Journal @csstevensphoto

The lacy embellishment on Teche Bergeron’s favorite denim shirt might seem like nothing more than a fashionable flourish. But it is so much more.

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Carefully positioned and lovingly hand-stitched by her mother, the delicate floral detailing sits just above her left hip, where she was hit by shrapnel Oct. 1 at the Route 91 Harvest festival. Petals and leaves cover the bloodstains that Bergeron tried so many times to wash away. It’s become so much more than a simple piece of clothing. She reaches for it often, particularly in moments of stress or doubt. The soft fabric brings comfort, reminding her how hard it was to run that night, and how she managed to flee despite her panic and fear. “The shirt,” she said, “is like an outside symbol of the strength that I’ve gained.”