City/State: Chattanooga 

Brain Injury: While I was in college at the University of Alabama, I was violently stabbed through the head by a convicted felon.  I suffered an aphasic stroke, so I am most frustrated with word finding and people not understanding me or not giving me enough time to talk.  Because of my loss, I’ve battled depression, and I have had problems with self-medicating my grief.

Explanation of Mask: The Hinds’ Feet Farm cap symbolizes the 5 happy years I spent in their innovative brain injury day program in Asheville, North Carolina.  My hobbies include fishing, walking in the woods, and volunteering at the YMCA and Chattanooga Food Bank.  Through faith, prayers, and church with my Mimi, I have found peace with God.