9/11 survivor uses equestrian therapy to cope 20 years after the tragedy
By Trayce Hutchins, Iyani Hughes
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SUWANEE, Georgia (WGCL) — Suwanee resident Kayla Bergeron’s therapy is working with horses like Jessie at Special Equestrians of Georgia.
It’s her calm after the chaos of September 11th.
“Sometimes it seems like a long time ago, sometimes it seems like yesterday.”
Kayla barely escaped the 68th floor of the north tower of the World Trade Center 20 years ago.
“About 9:30, a security guard comes on the floor and says your life is in danger we’re evacuating the building.” she explained.
Kayla was captured in a photo fleeing the building, barely making it out.
“Then I turned and here comes this big black plume that’s falling all over Manhattan, man I sped up and ran as fast as I could all the way to the Holland tunnel and when that stuff came near us, I dove under a car.”
For months after 9/11, as an employee of the port authority, Kayla helped coordinate the release of information about victims and the attacks.
But over the years it took it’s toll through the death of her mother, addiction and DUI’s.
“January 2017, DUI number two, but that was a blessing because Forsythe County accountability court that’s how I got the PTSD diagnosed, not the government, not anything set up to help survivors, it changed my life.”
“There were tears in her eyes, and she goes, I just don’t think I’ve felt this kind of peace since 9/11 happened and the horses were offering her that type of support that I think we all need.”
Kayla was just one of an estimated 33,000 people who made it out of the World Trade Center towers.
According to the CDC, more than 18,000 of them suffer with mental health concerns including PTSD or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
“There were tears in her eyes, and she goes, I just don’t think I’ve felt this kind of peace since 9/11 happened and the horses were offering her that type of support that I think we all need.”
“I think I found my purpose, and so I’m one of the lucky ones as we say.”
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