Julianne Moore Instagram – Julie Ort of Douglas County, Colorado is my #WomenCrushWednesday today. Julie is a @MomsDemand volunteer and a fellow with the @Everytown Survivor Network.
Julie was 13 years old when she and a group of friends went to TP a stranger’s home as part of a slumber party prank. The homeowner responded by opening fire on the group of children, striking Julie in the back and immediately rendering her paralyzed from the chest down. Some in the community were outraged—though not at the shooter—but with Julie and her friends, even going so far as sending hate mail claiming Julie deserved to be shot and that they would have shot her, too. Now a paraplegic 13-year-old, Julie came to believe that, to some, her life was worth less than a gun.
For the next 40 years, Julie remained silent about her shooting, fearful of those who valued their weapons over people’s lives. But in 2019, she joined her local Moms Demand Action group and later joined the Everytown Survivor Network, where she found strength in her activism and determination to end the epidemic of gun violence in the U.S.
“Now, I relish telling my story and testifying at the state Capitol,” Julie says. “It makes me feel empowered—like I am finally fighting for my 13-year-old self and for others.”
After years of rehab, Julie has regained significant function and is now able to walk with the assistance of two canes and a leg brace. Today, she is the leader of Douglas County Moms Demand Action, where she continues to grow her group while inspiring fellow volunteers and survivors to #KeepGoing in this movement. #wcw | Posted on 30/Jan/2025 05:18:47
