Gunshot victim helped by Trauma to Triumph program
“They started shooting at us. I got hit three times. Luckily I ducked down. I almost got shot in the head. I just kind of blurred out and I remember waking up in the hospital.”
Meet Yelson, a young man who was brought to Regional Medical Center after suffering from several gunshot wounds. During his care, he learned he could receive help to turn his life around.
Whenever we receive a trauma patient who is a victim of violence between the ages of 12 and 30 years old, a member of our trauma team will approach them and tell them about Trauma to Triumph. It is a program run through the City of San Jose Parks and Recreation Department that provides community resources. The goal is to provide individual and family assessment services while aiming to reduce violence, foster hope, and prevent retaliation.
Interventionalists from New Hope for Youth follow the participants for up to a year providing educational and vocational training, career/job placement, GED preparation, and other resources. Regional Medical Center has been a part of Trauma to Triumph since 2019 and we’ve seen its positive impact on former patients like Yelson.
“You’ve got to leave everything behind, every negative stuff, your past. You’ve got to focus on your present and what you want to do in your future, you know,” says Yelson.
Yelson is now enrolled in college and is seeking a career in a field that allows him to help others
For more information on Trauma to Triumph, you can visit Youth Intervention | City of San Jose (SanJoseCA.gov).
