ORLANDO, Fla. — Tiara Parker and her cousin Akyra Murray were vacationing in Florida eight years ago. Each year, the family went on a vacation, and in 2016, the family picked Orlando.

What You Need To Know

  • Tiara Parker lost her cousin Akyra Murray while vacationing in Orlando in 2016 — she believes Orlando's plans for a permanent memorial are "questionable"

  • Andrea Drayton, who lost her daughter “Dede,” says more people should be involved in the committee process, saying the planned group of 10-15 is not enough

  • According to Mayor Buddy Dyer, the goal is to have the memorial complete by 2026, which would mark 10 years since the shooting

On their second night, the cousins, along with a friend, went looking for a night on the town where those under 21 were allowed in.

“When they looked it up, Pulse was one of the options,” Tiara recalls when her cousin and her mother were looking for places to go. “I always tell people that it was one of the options. Not the top choice, but one of the options. We went, we didn’t know it was LGBTQ friendly.” 

That night, Tiara became a survivor. Her cousin, Akyra, was one of the 49 lives lost.

“My friend and cousin, they ran out of the building,” Tiara said. “When they realized I wasn’t with them, they turned back around and came back for me.”

The girls hid in the bathroom, but weren’t safe. Tiara still has the scars on her body and says Akyra died next to her.

Since that tragic night, Tiara has been advocating for Pulse victims and their families — not just to help raise funds for people on tough times, but also for a Pulse memorial.

With Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer recently announcing his goal of forming a committee to determine what an Orlando Pulse memorial should like, Tiara has mixed feelings.

“I feel like they are going to put us through what onePULSE put us through,” Tiara said. “I hear we should give them a try. I am on the fence, so it’s questionable for me.”

onePULSE dissolved last year, and now the city is leading the charge on a new memorial.

Meantime, Andrea Drayton, who lost her daughter “Dede,” was seeing what will be in Kissimmee, where Osceola County officials unveiled what their 49-foot memorial will look like.

“It really warmed my heart,” said the South Carolina resident. “Very grateful somebody is doing something to keep our loved one’s legacy alive.”

Andrea and her family come to commemorate Pulse in Central Florida each and every year.

“It’s not gotten easier,” Andrea is slow to say. “Each year it is a hole in the heart, especially whenever you come to an event in Orlando such as this.”

Speaking on Orlando’s memorial plans, Andrea is hoping family members and those who have made memorials across the country should be included, believing a committee of just 10-15 is not enough.

“Frustrations,” Andrea said. “Promises after promises after promises. ‘A memorial would be built to honor our loved ones’ and nothing has been built yet.”

According to Mayor Buddy Dyer, the goal is to have the memorial complete by 2026, which would mark 10 years since the terror shooting.