“The Michigan Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (MIAAP) is heartbroken after the senseless gun violence that occurred Sunday in Grand Blanc. On behalf of our 1,500 members, we send our love and support to the entire Grand Blanc community, particularly those within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints congregation. The loss of lives, those injured and the countless others who are all affected by yesterday’s shooting are in our thoughts. Gun violence such as this has no role in our communities and no home in Michigan, yet we are all too familiar with tragedies such as this.
Unfortunately, we are no stranger to responding in moments such as these. Pediatricians will be there to help tend to the physical, mental, and emotional wounds that have been left behind by yet another senseless act of gun violence in our community. We applaud efforts within our state over the last couple of years that have promoted more evidence based gun violence prevention legislation, but we must do more. We will continue to work with our state’s elected leaders to advocate and continue to promote safety in our communities.
MIAAP's mission remains focused on improving the physical, mental and social health of infants, children, adolescents and young adults in our state. Incidents like yesterday's act of violence will forever impact the lives of many young people and families. As Pediatricians, we remain committed to supporting our patients and families, not only when we are thriving but also in times of crisis. We're always there and we will continue to call for more solutions so we do not have to keep putting ourselves, our children and our families through these traumatic events."
Joseph Fakhoury, MD, FAAP
President, Michigan Chapter American Academy of Pediatrics
We would also like to share the following resources that may complement the work you all already do that goes above and beyond to support families in times like these.
AAP HealthyChildren.org Parenting Resources
AAP Patient Care Tools and Resources