Newsdata · Florida Government

A decade after Pulse, mother keeps son's memory alive while carrying lasting grief

Ten years after the Pulse Nightclub shooting claimed 49 lives, the pain remains a daily reality for many of the families left behind. For Christine Leinonen, the grief of losing her son, Christopher "Drew" Leinonen, has never faded. As Orlando marks the 10th anniversary of the June 12, 2016, massacre, Christine Leinonen continues to honor his memory while navigating the profound loss that changed her life forever. Leinonen spent 33 agonizing hours searching for answers after the shooting before learning that her son was among those killed. Christopher and his boyfriend, Juan Guerrero, were both killed during the attack. "The pain never goes away," Leinonen said. "Sometimes I'm brought right back to finding out my son was killed." CLICK TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX LOCAL APP Christopher, a University of Central Florida graduate and licensed clinical therapist, was remembered by his mother as a compassionate and caring person whose future was taken away far too soon. "I didn't realize as a mom how much future Christopher took up in my head," Leinonen said. "I thought about when would Christopher's hair go gray." The loss remains especially difficult during holidays and family milestones. Leinonen said she now avoids some holidays altogether because of the painful reminders of what she has lost. "You never spend a Mother's Day without him," she said. SIGN-UP FOR FOX 35'S BREAKING NEWS, DAILY NEWS NEWSLETTERS Despite the grief, Leinonen is determined to ensure her son's legacy endures. Friends and family established The Dru Project in Christopher's memory, an organization that supports LGBTQ+ student groups and provides college scholarships. "The loss is still there. The desire to just talk to my son," Leinonen said. "He was such a good human being." With the anniversary upon us, Leinonen said the pain of June 12 will never fully disappear, but preserving Christopher's memory gives purpose to her continued advocacy and remembrance efforts. Gov. Ron DeSantis has ordered flags across Florida to be flown at half-staff in honor of the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting.