Hunter speaks with two strangers about traumatic experiences and how they're coping with the lasting effects. Ashbey and her son Beau survived a horrific mass shooting at a parade in Highland Park, Illinois. She recounts the terror of that day when a gunman opened fire, murdering seven people and injuring 48 others. Ashbey describes the chaos as thousands fled, her son's legs giving out from fear as he pleaded "I don't want to die" , and her determination to protect him. In the aftermath, Beau suffered severe PTSD — nightmares, inability to sleep alone for over a year, wearing clothes inside out and backwards for control. Ashbey transformed her pain into action, becoming a full-time gun violence prevention advocate, helping pass Illinois's assault weapons ban, lobbying nationally, and even crashing a press conference in Tennessee that went viral. She emphasizes the overlooked toll on uninjured survivors, noting her family has spent nearly $80,000 on therapy, and advocates reframing the gun debate around economic costs and domestic terrorism charges for mass shooters. Through years of therapy and music, Beau has made remarkable progress, recently demonstrating self-regulation when a loud bang triggered him at a concert. Ashbey expresses profound pride in her son's strength and her unwavering commitment to ensuring he knows she fought to prevent this from happening to others. Julian shares the pain of losing his closest friend, Brandon, who was killed by a drunk driver after surviving military deployment. Julian recounts their bond formed in basic training, their inseparable friendship, and the devastating dream he had the night before learning of Brandon's death. He also opens up about his own PTSD from a military assault that led to his medical discharge, describing how he scans for exits constantly and initially struggled to accept his new reality, even attempting suicide. His grandmother's words — "quiere decir que nadie sufre para siempre" (which means nobody hurts forever) — became his lifeline. Julian emphasizes the importance of his support system, therapy, and his service dog Nala in his healing journey. He advises others struggling with PTSD to find their "why" and overcome the barriers to asking for help, particularly those faced by first-generation immigrants and military culture. Chapters: 00:00:00 Surviving a mass shooting at a holiday parade 00:03:19 Managing sheer panic and a paralyzed child while fleeing 00:06:35 Turning personal trauma into full-time gun violence advocacy 00:09:51 Finding unexpected healing through music and concerts 00:15:12 Reflecting on the hidden financial and emotional costs of gun violence 00:19:32 Fighting through feelings of burnout and jadedness 00:22:18 Coping with severe nightmares and behavioral changes after the event 00:25:03 Remembering a fallen military brother and friend 00:28:21 Receiving devastating news about a tragic loss 00:30:46 Cherishing lighthearted memories and brotherhood during basic training 00:32:20 Navigating a difficult transition out of the military with PTSD 00:36:49 Finding strength, support, and the importance of asking for help Topics: Surviving the Highland Park parade shooting with a six-year-old child Navigating childhood PTSD, panic responses, and emotional regression Becoming a full-time gun violence prevention advocate after trauma The uncounted financial toll and therapy costs for uninjured survivors Music as immersive healing and a breakthrough moment at Lollapalooza Meeting best friend Brandon on day one of Air Force basic training Coping with the sudden loss of a military brother to a hit-and-run Understanding military PTSD, hyper-vigilance, and exit scanning Rebuilding life after rock bottom with service dog Nala Overcoming mental health stigma and learning nobody hurts forever FOLLOW THE SHOW ►Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/storiesfromastrangerpod ►Threads: https://www.threads.com/@storiesfromastrangerpod ►Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/storiesfromastrangerpodcast FOLLOW HUNTER PROSPER ►Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hunter_prosper/ ►TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hunterprosper See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
