ORLANDO, Fla. — As the 10-year anniversary of the Pulse nightclub shooting approaches, families of the 49 victims continue to cope with their loss and advocate for change.
Myra Alvear, mother of victim Amanda Alvear, is one of those voices, keeping her daughter’s memory alive through personal remembrance and advocacy for gun violence prevention.
Alvear was 25 years old at the time of the shooting, which claimed 49 lives. Her mother, Alvear, who lives in Winter Haven, Fla., continues to navigate the profound grief, describing it as a constant presence. Amanda had dreams of working in medicine.
Alvear, mother of Alvear, shares the depth of her grief 10 years after the Pulse nightclub shooting. “The pain never goes away, you know,” Alvear said. “It’s something that you wake up and it’s there when you go to bed, it’s there, so you have to learn how to live with it.”
In her Winter Haven home, Alvear has preserved her daughter’s room as a sanctuary. The room contains photos, prom pictures and countless rainbows, which were Amanda’s favorite symbol.
“They bring me closer to her, it keeps me closer to her, gives me closer to her things, to her pictures, to her memories... it’s part of me, is what helped me heal,” Alvear said.
Alvear now channels her grief into advocacy for gun violence prevention. She traveled to Washington, D.C., last month in May, carrying a magazine that honored victims of gun violence, including Amanda.
Her aim was to engage lawmakers and push for gun violence prevention. During preparations for Amanda’s funeral, Alvear said a message of love emerged.
“Amanda will say... spread love, because that’s what came into me when I was preparing for her funeral, it was just about spread love... that’s what we put on our T-shirts, love, not hate,” Alvear said.
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