BUFFALO, N.Y. — When it comes to any sort of trauma, and it comes in many forms, care typically begins at Erie County Medical Center (ECMC), but just a few blocks away, the work continues inside a brand-new recovery center.

Quintasia Livingston was an innocent bystander when she was shot near her home in May 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving her paralyzed from the waist down.

"I was 19 years old and I was upset,” said Livingston. “And I was disrespectful. I was depressed. I was the nastiest thing that you could ever imagine. Who wouldn't be at the time, you know?”

To help Livingston, and many victims like her, ECMC leaders and others cut the ribbon Tuesday on its new trauma recovery center called BRAVE (Buffalo Rising Against Violence). 

It is the only one in Western New York and only the second in the state; the other is located in Brooklyn.

"It just speaks to the dedication and work of our team and our community members,” said Dr. Shannon King, clinical coordinator, BRAVE trauma recovery center. “We are so grateful and proud."

BRAVE is a hospital-based violence intervention program designed to help trauma victims and their families get the help they need and rebuild their lives. 

"And most importantly a time to heal,” said Dr. Thomas Quatroche, president and CEO, ECMC. “ECMC's BRAVE program will further fill the gap in services and treatment for victims of violence, shoring up their emotional and social needs." 

That includes emergency support, clinical care and a shoulder to lean on.

"Going to therapy can be seen as weak and is often not talked about in most families,” said Airicka Brown, clinical coordinator, BRAVE. “The BRAVE trauma recovery center seeks to normalize and reduce stigma around receiving therapy."

Livingston says it saved her life and encourages others to seek help.

“A lot of people think we don't need therapy. And we do,” she said. “And I'm glad I was able to experience it with those guys." 

Not only is that therapy free of cost to the survivor and their family, but for those in need of a ride, BRAVE also provides free transportation to and from the center.