TriWest 'Inspiring Stories' Video Recalls Traumatic Loss, Resilience and Recovery
PHOENIX (August 28, 2023) – On the morning of August 3, 2019, 45 people were shot at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas. The attack took the lives of 23 victims, and 22 others suffered critical, debilitating wounds that would forever change them.
As the nation’s most deadly mass shooting, the tragedy left family members and friends of those lost and injured also experiencing life-altering trauma.
Raul Loya, a TriWest Healthcare Alliance (TriWest) Customer Service Representative, experienced traumatic loss when his parents were killed in the shooting. His mother, Maribel Loya, and stepfather Leo Campos, a TriWest employee at the time, were victims in the store when the shooter opened fire on shoppers.
In the days and months that followed, Raul’s long road to recovery and peace began with the realization that he needed to create a path forward – a path of remembrance, healing, and enduring love for his parents who had lost their lives.
Recovery is a long process, he says. For those who have experienced trauma, it continues each day.
"Bringing attention to trauma and its far-reaching effects can help begin healing," said David J. McIntyre, TriWest President and CEO. "By sharing his powerful story, Raul is helping others to understand and find their path to recovery from deep trauma and loss."
In a new TriWest 'Inspiring Stories' video, hear Raul’s story of forging a path to healing and how he continues his journey to recovery.