A Texas-based surgeon has shared an incredibly powerful message in the wake of the devastating Uvalde school shooting this week.
Director of paediatric trauma, Dr Lillian Liao spoke on behalf of the San Antonio University Hospital's trauma team, who helped to treat survivors of the shocking shooting.
Nineteen school children and two teachers were killed in a deadly shooting by an 18-year-old gunman at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas this week.
Three children are being treated at University Hospital - one of whom is in serious condition.
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Speaking to CBS News, Dr Liao confirmed that she had already performed several surgeries on the survivors of the shooting.
Noting that her team had been prepared hours in advance of the first patient arriving, Dr Liao revealed that "sadly we thought we would get more patients than we did".
She admitted that it was "a challenge to talk to the families, they were obviously in shock".
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She continued: "But sometimes I think in these situations, we need to stay positive and the fact that we have the opportunity to talk to these families, we're grateful for that.
"That we had the opportunity to say: 'Your child made it to the hospital alive and here's the plan for the next 24 hours and then the 24 hours after that.'
"So my team is very grateful for that. I know I'm speaking but I'm speaking on behalf of the entire trauma team and that's hundreds and thousands of people that you don't see in front of the camera right now. They're all working on all the patients as we speak."
The children killed in Tuesday's shooting were aged between 7 and 10 years old.
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According to NBC News, officials confirmed that prior to the shooting, the gunman, Salvador Rolando Ramos, wrote in a Facebook message 15 minutes before: “I’m going to shoot an elementary school.”
Mr Ramos also sent another message revealing his plans to shoot his grandmother - which he successfully did before the school shooting.
The woman in question is among the survivors hospitalised - though it is believed she is in serious condition.
According to local reports, Ramos had bought two "assault weapons" after his 18th birthday earlier this month.
Topics: News
Ali Condon