Paula Blanco #PrayForPaula
Donation protected
My name is Chandice Hunter and I am the QB and Captain for the Orlando Anarchy Women's Tackle Football Team. I would like to tell you all a short story of my gridiron little sister Paula Blanco. This past football season was like any other. We had tryouts and little conditioning events to see who was interested in playing for the Orlando Anarchy. In struts the tiniest little lady. This lady was Paula Blanco. As of course we never turn any female away who wants to play we did notice she was on the smaller end.
What we didn't know was that this little woman was going to shock the world and be an awesome corner but most importantly be a monster in the backfield at running back. Paula has the heart of a lion and though small she is mighty in every sense of the word. Because of all of her hard work and fierce competitive spirit, she earned herself a spot as a Second Team All-American in the WFA.
This past saturday June 11, 2016 some of the Anarchy players went out as a group to a Predators AFL game and then afterwards decided to go dancing at Pulse for latin night. Little did we all know the tragedy that would unfold. There were 5 players and 4 of the significant others of the players who went. 4 members of the group trickled out between 20-30 mins before the incident. Another couple left about 6mins before the shooting incident to grab McDonalds. Those two were in front of Pulse when gunfired errupted outside and immediately thought of the others who were still inside.
Left in Pulse were Paula, her boyfriend and another member of the Orlando Anarchy. When the gunman went inside he fired off several rounds one of which struck Paula in the forearm area. Her teammate managed to grab her arm to apply pressure and pull her down to safety. They patiently and quietly waited to get out to safety. Little did they know that Paula was not the only member of the group injured. Paula's boyfriend Cory Connell was also gravely wounded. With the help of her teammate Paula got up and ran outside holding her wrist where she was met by an officer and the teammate who was outside trying to get to the other members of the Anarchy group.
The officer escorted her to the ambulance and told her teammate to get to ORMC because that is where she would be taken. She was put into an abulance and rushed to ORMC. It would be over 12 hours before any news of condition would be known but her Anarchy Family never left the hospital. Finally, she would come out of surgery several hours later. Her forearm was wounded very badly.
I'm setting up this GoFundMe page because she will need help with all the surgeries and therapy to regain some of the functions in her hand. It's going to be a very painful long process but with her lovely big sister Laura, various members of her immediate family, and her Orlando Anarchy gridiron sisters she will get through this and be stronger than ever.
Paula is the sweetest person you will ever meet with a beautiful soul, personality, and smile to match. Waking up from surgery and still groggy she asked her teammates who stayed with her if they had eaten. That kind of mindfulness of others is just one of the many wonderful qualities that make her such amazing person. Anything that anyone can do to help her in her recovery would be gratefully appreciated not only from her and her beautiful family but from her football family the Orlando Anarchy. WE LOVE YOU PAULA!! #AnarchRises #PrayForPaula
What we didn't know was that this little woman was going to shock the world and be an awesome corner but most importantly be a monster in the backfield at running back. Paula has the heart of a lion and though small she is mighty in every sense of the word. Because of all of her hard work and fierce competitive spirit, she earned herself a spot as a Second Team All-American in the WFA.
This past saturday June 11, 2016 some of the Anarchy players went out as a group to a Predators AFL game and then afterwards decided to go dancing at Pulse for latin night. Little did we all know the tragedy that would unfold. There were 5 players and 4 of the significant others of the players who went. 4 members of the group trickled out between 20-30 mins before the incident. Another couple left about 6mins before the shooting incident to grab McDonalds. Those two were in front of Pulse when gunfired errupted outside and immediately thought of the others who were still inside.
Left in Pulse were Paula, her boyfriend and another member of the Orlando Anarchy. When the gunman went inside he fired off several rounds one of which struck Paula in the forearm area. Her teammate managed to grab her arm to apply pressure and pull her down to safety. They patiently and quietly waited to get out to safety. Little did they know that Paula was not the only member of the group injured. Paula's boyfriend Cory Connell was also gravely wounded. With the help of her teammate Paula got up and ran outside holding her wrist where she was met by an officer and the teammate who was outside trying to get to the other members of the Anarchy group.
The officer escorted her to the ambulance and told her teammate to get to ORMC because that is where she would be taken. She was put into an abulance and rushed to ORMC. It would be over 12 hours before any news of condition would be known but her Anarchy Family never left the hospital. Finally, she would come out of surgery several hours later. Her forearm was wounded very badly.
I'm setting up this GoFundMe page because she will need help with all the surgeries and therapy to regain some of the functions in her hand. It's going to be a very painful long process but with her lovely big sister Laura, various members of her immediate family, and her Orlando Anarchy gridiron sisters she will get through this and be stronger than ever.
Paula is the sweetest person you will ever meet with a beautiful soul, personality, and smile to match. Waking up from surgery and still groggy she asked her teammates who stayed with her if they had eaten. That kind of mindfulness of others is just one of the many wonderful qualities that make her such amazing person. Anything that anyone can do to help her in her recovery would be gratefully appreciated not only from her and her beautiful family but from her football family the Orlando Anarchy. WE LOVE YOU PAULA!! #AnarchRises #PrayForPaula
Organizer and beneficiary
Chandice Hunter
Organizer
Orlando, FL
Laura Blanco
Beneficiary