Four survivors of the Pulse nightclub shooting will appear in a special episode of MTV’s documentary series True Life, Deadline Hollywood reports. Airing two months after the tragic events that shook Orlando, Florida and the country, True Life: We Are Orlando tells the story of four men and women, some who are still recovering from their injuries.
Tony Marrero, who played dead in order to avoid the shooter but still suffered several gunshot wounds, is depicted struggling through a painful physical recovery. In this intimate clip Marrero, just recently released from the hospital, has his bandages changed and winces in pain. He describes his current medical issues in detail, and explains that he’s working to regain movement in his hands and fingers in rehab.
He confesses that all is not well. “I’m not ok and that’s only physical. I can’t even start with mentally.” Marrero is likely referring to the emotional fight to overcome his survivor’s guilt. His best friend, Luis Vielma, did not survive the attack.
After being shot, Marrero crawled out of the club to safety and was left wondering what happened to his friend. A Mexican-American college student who worked at Hogwarts Castle at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Vielma was later reported as one of the 49 people who died that night.
True Life: We Are Orlando airs Monday, August 15 at 8 p.m. on MTV.