During fourth period Samantha Grady and her classmates at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida were learning about the 1936 Summer Olympics in Germany and the Holocaust. The students were typing on their computers when shots rang out.

Samantha froze in disbelief until her best friend, Helena, nudged her. “Sam,” said Helena as she pushed Samantha in front of her, and the girls dashed to the side of the classroom where two boys had moved a file cabinet. The sounds of shots grew louder as the students squeezed together behind meager protection, quietly shaking, texting, crying.

Helena whispered in Samantha’s ear, “Grab a book, grab a book!” Both girls took books off the shelf and clutched them before their faces. The book Samantha held was flimsy, but having it steadied her. As the gunman turned the AR-15 rifle into their classroom, she thought, I’m not going to die. I’m going to survive this.

The deafening, staccato thwack of bullets as they broke glass, pierced flesh, and ricocheted off furniture and walls was all the students could hear for long seconds. As Samantha saw classmates get hit, a heaviness propelled her forward. The heavy feeling didn’t abate as bullets continued striking the wall. Afraid to move, afraid to make a sound, Samantha stared at her injured classmates. Recognizing how seriously wounded Helena was, Samantha focused on keeping her best friend calm as the gunman moved away from their classroom. In the fraught silence, Samantha — and others — dialed 911.

Another classmate hiding behind the laptop cart noticed Samantha’s injuries and told her that she was “grazed.” Samantha dutifully repeated this to the operator. The students whispered to each other and waited. Samantha gingerly checked pulses and comforted classmates. Soon they heard male voices outside the door. Risking a quick peek, Samantha saw “SWAT” printed on the men’s uniforms. “It’s the police,” she said with relief. “OK, we’re safe.”

A police officer broke out the bottom of the window, unlocked the door, and entered the room. He asked who was injured. The students replied accordingly, as they were able. Those who could leave unassisted were quickly escorted out of the building. They were told to run across the street and up the hill. The shooter was still at large.

Fear drove Samantha to race toward the hill. She stopped behind a truck and called her parents. “There was a shooting,” she said to her stunned mom. “I’m OK. I’m hurt, but I’m OK. I promise you I’m OK. . . . If you don’t see me, I’m in an ambulance.”

Samantha tapped one of the ambulance personnel and, showing him where she could feel stickiness seeping through her black shirt, said, “I’m injured.”

The paramedic checked her, asked her to sit down, and told other care providers that she was shot “through and through.” Samantha was soon helped into an ambulance. One bullet had grazed her, another had ricocheted into her chest.

As they arrived at the hospital, Samantha started singing “God Will Take Care of You.” The chorus, the verses . . . she kept singing as she was treated.

After more than five hours in the hospital, and 15 staples later, Samantha was released. Her parents, who had frantically driven to the hospital, took Samantha home. Church families who had gone to the hospital in support also departed.

Samantha’s physical recovery took several weeks; emotional and psychological recovery continues.

Some might say Samantha was lucky. Samantha and her family know it was more. The accompanying interview, which took place one month after the Parkland shooting, contains insights into their family and their faith.

Faith and family help Florida high school shooting victim recover.

Kimberly Luste Maran: We’ve learned what happened the day a gunman entered your high school, but let’s go back briefly to fourth period. What thoughts went through your mind?

Samantha Grady (SG): Before he came to our classroom, when I initially just crouched there, I distinctly remember thinking, I am not going die. I am going to survive this. That helped me calm down. It helped me focus on what was at hand and what I had to do to get out of that situation. I really do think it was a reassurance from God because if I did not have that reassurance, I don’t know what would’ve happened.

If I hadn’t known God, if my upbringing hadn’t been what it was, I would have been completely terrified in that situation and my future would have been uncertain. I’m just happy that that reassurance came in the upbringing that I had.

You mention your upbringing. You’ve grown up with your church family. What’s that been like for you and your parents?

Sally Grady: We are a close church, a close family. Sometimes after sunset we’ll even hangout in the parking lot to talk and so forth. But when this incident took place, the support was tremendous. Everyone was calling. They were crying; they were so caring. Many came to the hospital. I said to my husband, “If we did not belong to the Pompano Beach church, or belong to the Seventh-day Adventist Church, we would have been alone.” We’ve had calls from Alaska, South Africa, all over. That’s a tremendous blessing.

James Grady: The phones never stop ringing. It’s always a member. Some call every day asking, “How is she doing?” But we’ve heard from people who moved, left this church, and moved to Georgia and other parts of the country.

SG: I’ve known everyone since I was about 9 years old so just growing up with them the bond gets tighter. We have our orchestra that we play with on Sabbath and we have a little orchestra chamber group as well. So we have little activities that we used to do, and camping with Pathfinders. That was real; you really get to know a person when you go camping.

You’re a junior in high school and in the Pathfinder Team Leadership Training (TLT) program. What motivated you to continue with Pathfinders?

SG: I’m not the best speaker in public, I find it hard to collect my thoughts sometimes. Until recently I wasn’t a leader. Just being a part of the TLT thing, I knew it’d force me to get out of my shell and take on a leadership position.

Doing all those activities, participating in Pathfinders, just brought us all close together and, you know, we are a family. I can honestly say that all these people who go to this church are my brothers and sisters, not only in spirit but in connection because I grew up with them. It’s like a family here and it’s always been that way and always will be.

You play the piano and viola, and you have a singing ministry. What else are you involved in, and why?

SG: I’m in the orchestra at my school. I’m also in a club with friends called First Priority, a nondenominational Christian club where we all come together and read Scripture, pray, and eat together. We have youth pastors speak too.

I’m also in our school’s medically based club, which I love. It’s for students who want to go into the medical field. They do competitions, but they are on Sabbath, so I don’t go. But I do study the information, and listen to the speakers they bring in. I’ve always wanted to be a pediatrician. I love kids and I’ve always wanted to help people; so those two criteria point toward doctor/pediatrician.

You mentioned the friendships you’ve made in the clubs at school. Your best friend Helena died from her wounds. Tell us about her.

SG: Helena was amazing. Although a lot of people described her as quiet, I don’t remember her that way. If anyone was in trouble, she would put her own things aside and just go to that person and help them. Not only that, but she came to church with us for a few months, every week, which was really nice.

She also joined First Priority with me. We would go almost every Wednesday to hang out, read and worship. . . . Helena was selfless in the shooting situation. She got me to move, and she was the one who told me to hold up the book. When I was shoved, either it was the bullet entering my system or it was her pushing me out of the way. I like to think it was her pushing me out of the way. The fact that she pushed my shoulders and said, “Go” — without her I don’t think I would have gotten to the spot I did, which really helped save my life.

I miss her. But I’m very thankful to her. Although it’s a horrible thing that she is not here anymore, I’m still super thankful that she did take the initiative.

Helena, as you’ve described, was an important factor in your survival. You also mentioned prayer. How has prayer helped you through this entire ordeal?

SG: I did pray while I was crouching in the classroom, while I had the rush of reassurance. I prayed, “God, it’s in Your hands; You know what You’re doing.” Just having that foundation of trust in God, recognizing that He knows what He’s doing, helped. It helped to calm me down, praying that “God, You are in control, You know what you’re doing.”

This [tragedy] was something real. People were hurt and people died. I’ve gone forth and been interviewed because I want people to know what happened. Unfortunately, 17 people died, but one thing I do have to say is that God is in control.

My prayers have definitely changed. Prayer is more meaningful. It’s a comfort. Knowing that God’s in control and just praying throughout the whole ordeal helped a lot and definitely reaffirmed my faith.

Mr. and Mrs. Grady, how has this experience affected you?

James Grady: I can’t begin to tell you how much we love Samantha. She is just so precious. I could talk for a long time about what actually happened, but when we got that phone call I nearly died.

We ran to the car; I drove to the hospital like a lunatic. We were just two inches away from losing her and I can’t get that out of my mind. I pray every chance I get, thanking God for what He did for us. I feel so bad for the parents who lost their children. I can’t imagine what they’re going through

It was a disaster, a terrible situation, and a 17-year-old kid shouldn’t see something like this that they have to carry for the rest of their life. At least now they’re doing something about it. Thank God there have already been changes as far as Broward County is concerned.

Sally Grady: I do believe God saved Samantha for a reason. I pray for Samantha at night when she’s sleeping. I go over to her bed and I pray for her, I always have. We pray constantly.

Samantha, we’ve talked about how you’ve been involved in creating awareness, talking about the problem of violence in schools. What would you tell a high schooler who’s now afraid?

SG: First, God is with you and you’re not alone in your fear. . . . One thing my mom always says that has stuck with me is that God never gives you anything that you can’t bear.

The fact that this has come into your life, the fact that you’re feeling all of this terrible emotion and just overwhelmed feeling, doesn’t mean you can’t bear it. You’ve got this; you can work your way through it. God is with you, and from the perspective of a per-son who went through this, it will get better. Even if you’ve lost someone.

If you’re terrified of going to school, I understand. I may not be terrified of going to school, but I understand the fear. Every day I regain some level of that comfort of being back there but, either way, it’s still a process. With God’s help all things are possible.