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2 Years Later: Las Vegas Shooting Victim Dies From Injuries

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Published on: November 18, 2019

More than two years after the October 1, 2017 Las Vegas shooting that took place at the Route 91 Harvest Country Music Festival, one of the victims has succumbed to her injuries from that fateful night.

Kim Gervais died on Friday.

Her injuries left her paralyzed from the neck down and put tremendous stress on her body, which led to her going into cardiac arrest.

She has become the 59th victim of the deadliest mass shooting in US history.

KVVU reports:

A Vancouver woman says her sister died this weekend, two years after she was shot in Las Vegas. The shooting left her paralyzed.

Dena Sarvela remembers the tragedy that ultimately took her sister’s life, but she says it also robbed her of these last two years.

Sarvela lost her sister Friday night.

“She is, was, she still is… she’ll never leave my heart, ever,” Sarvela said.

Following the shooting, it was reported that Gervais was recovering in the hospital as a quadriplegic.

KPTV reports:

Dena Sarvela said her sister was hit in the back by a bullet and is now a quadriplegic recovering in a Las Vegas hospital.

Sarvela said her sister, Kim Gervais, of Mira Loma, California, attends the Route 91 Harvest festival each year and went to the country music event last weekend with two of her friends, adding that one of those friends died in the shooting and the other escaped uninjured.

When Sarvela found out her sister was in critical condition, she dropped everything and got on a plane.

Speaking to FOX 12 by phone from Las Vegas Wednesday morning, she said her sister, like many of the thousands of attendees, thought the popping noises were fireworks at first and kept watching Jason Aldean perform Sunday night until she realized something was wrong.

“She was in shock,” Sarvela said. “She just said it felt like it was like a burning sensation. She didn’t know exactly what was going on. She knew she was hit, but she didn’t know how bad.”

Gervais’ daughters discovered their mother had been shot when they tried to phone her and a stranger answer their mother’s phone.

“Come to find out this couple saved her life,” Sarvela explained. “They took her out (of the festival) so she wouldn’t be laying there. They took her to the hospital, and I would really love to find this couple. I want to give them a hug – I want to thank them so much. The gentleman covered my sister, he covered her body so that she stayed down, so nothing else hit her.”

Neither of the sisters knew who the couple was, and didn’t get their names but were extremely grateful for their care.

“The gentleman threw himself over on top of my sister and told the other girl who survived to run,” Sarvela said. “I’m really grateful that she wasn’t alone.”

Ms. Gervais had lost her husband in 2000 and had raised her two daughters, as well as managed a small business alone.

“She was ready to retire. Her and I spoke the night before she went to the concert. She was going to sell the business, she was ready to just go abroad and enjoy life, like she should have, and it was snatched from her. She worked her life, and butt off for – just to go enjoy, you know, and she doesn’t get that, she doesn’t get that chance,” Sarvela said.

“She lost her zest for life because of it, because of the shooting, because of her injuries that she sustained,” she said. “It was hard to be that same person, that we all know and love.”

For Savela, the passing of her sister was bittersweet.

“I also know she was missing her husband very, very much, and that’s what gives me hope – that she’s with him right now. Gives me a lot of hope, and I know they are,” Sarvela said.

“She was my sister, my caregiver, you know, even though I do have a mother, she basically raised us, and she was amazing, and I thank her very much to this day for helping me be who I am. And I hope she’s proud, because she’s a big part of that,” Sarvela said.

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