City: Suwanee (Originally from Charlotte, NC)

Brain Injury: I received a concussion on June 2, 2005 while playing flag football at age 28.  I went to the hospital to be checked out and they ordered an MRI, which surprisingly showed that I had a brain tumor. I had surgery and the tumor was diagnosed as a Grade 2 astrocytoma.  I was treated at Wake Forest and MD Anderson.  I had radiation to the tumor site.  Six years later the tumor came back and I had temporal lobe astrocytoma surgery.  Three months after that I had a brain hemorrhage, which deprived the blood supply to the tumor and fortunately killed the tumor.  However, it left me with other physical difficulties.  

Explanation of Mask:

Red = Success

Blue = Represents hope

Grey = Represents inspiration

5 = Represents 2005, the year of my first surgery

Gold Scar = I am proud of my scars. Scars remind me of what I’ve been through and to keep hoping and praying

Words = Happy, Positivity, Prayer, Hope, Belief, Motivation, and Inspiration are words that I live by

Travel = Before my injury, I traveled to many places, including Italy (Rome & Venice), Russia, Bahamas, Hawaii, and the Dominican Republic