LAS VEGAS (WSVN) — A California woman who fought a battle with cancer is once again fighting for her life after, her family said, she was shot during the massacre in Las Vegas, Sunday night.
Natalie Grumet’s loved ones said she has always been a fighter. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007.
“She’s a fighter, so there’s a lot of hope,” said Pearl Grumet, Natalie’s mother-in-law.
Now, her family is hoping for a miracle and asking for prayers.
Natalie, 37, is in a Las Vegas hospital after she sustained a gunshot wound to the face at the country music festival where, authorities said, a gunman opened fire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel, killing 59 people and injuring more than 500 others.
During a FaceTime interview with 7News, Natalie’s husband said her friends alerted him about the shooting. “I got a call from some of her friends. They were frantic; I couldn’t really understand them,” said Jason Grumet, “and all I heard was, ‘Natalie was shot.'”
The story of what happened to Natalie, an Orange County resident, has been widely circulated on social media.
Meanwhile, her family continues to ask for prayers. “I just want Natalie to be better. I want her to be at home,” said Jason.
As this cancer survivor undergoes surgery Tuesday afternoon, her family is calling on a higher power to see her through. “I just ask God to help Him pull her through this, to make her strong again like she is,” said Pearl. “Once you meet Natalie, you can’t help but love her, and this will only make her stronger, and she’ll be an advocate for victims.”
Pearl said Natalie has made it her mission to help others. “When she was diagnosed 10 years ago, she was told that, ‘You’re too young to have breast cancer,'” she said. “There were very few organizations out there for younger women, and so she was instrumental in reaching out to a lot of younger women and starting little chat rooms and getting people information that they needed. I think now she will be an advocate for victims of tragedies.”
But right now Natalie is on a ventilator and unable to speak. Jason and Pearl said they are waiting for the day when she opens her eyes again.
They know what they are going to say to her. “‘We’ll get through this, and I love you so much, more than words can say,'” said Pearl.
“I’m going to tell her I love her, and I told her that I was going to get to her, and I got to her,” said Jason.
Natalie’s family acknowledged she is facing a long road to recovery. They are hoping her story will help others overcome challenge after challenge.
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