John, every Thanksgiving, as I gather with my family at the dinner table and think about what I'm most grateful for, I can't help but reflect on the moment that changed my life forever.

When I was 17, I was shot in the throat by a stray bullet. I was rushed to the hospital — and I almost didn’t make it. But the trauma surgeons who treated me refused to give up, and their courage and skill saved my life. That moment changed everything for me. It’s why I became a trauma surgeon at Johns Hopkins — and why I now fight alongside Brady to end the gun violence epidemic that nearly took my life.

Every day, I treat patients who've been shot — people whose lives, like mine, have been forever changed by a single pull of a trigger. And I can tell you this with certainty: No matter how skilled a surgeon might be, the most effective treatment for a gunshot wound is prevention.

That's what Brady fights for every single day. And as we head into the holidays, I'm asking for your help to keep this work going strong into the new year. 

Right now, all gifts to Brady are being MATCHED up to $200,000 — meaning your impact to save lives and fight for gun violence prevention will go twice as far. Please, make a gift today to help us meet this critical goal and ensure that we can continue this life-saving work.

Thank you for being a part of this movement — and for helping us fill more tables with love, safety, and hope.

Dr. Joe Sakran
Gun Violence Survivor 
Brady Board Chair and Chief Medical Officer
Trauma Surgeon