Ten years ago, Corrina’s life changed forever when a car accident left her with a traumatic brain injury (TBI). At the time of the accident, Corrina was married with four children ages 9-19 years old. She worked three jobs with the school district and her family was financially stable.

The accident left her in a coma for a month and half, and when she woke up, she was not herself. Her doctors said because of her TBI she would never walk, hold a job, or take care of herself again. Her husband had left her and her children while she was in the hospital.

The doctors told Corrina’s 19-year-old son she needed to go to an assisted living facility to live out the remainder of her life. Corrina’s son was adamant that his mom was not going to live the rest of her life that way and he took her home as soon as she was able to leave the hospital.

“My kids were there, pulling me along. They kept me alive,” shares Corrina. Her kids did everything for her. They fed her, bathed her, and changed her diapers. They also taught her how to take care of herself again. Soon she was walking and able to perform self-care tasks on her own.

Unable to work and still suffering from many issues related to her TBI, Corrina fell into some unhealthy patterns for several years until her kids finally said she needed to do something. She had some court-ordered community service from her accident she needed to complete, so she started volunteering at MSC last February.

Corrina started off sorting food, and the food bank staff worked to accommodate some of the limitations her TBI imposed. Gradually Corrinna was able to do more. Most importantly, Corrina was seeing improvements that doctors never thought would be possible. “I learned to count, hold a conversation, pay attention, and tie a knot,” says Corrina, “I couldn’t do that before I came to MSC. I feel better about myself since I’ve been here, so I’m more willing to learn. Before, I thought everything I had was gone.”

When Corrina’s court-required volunteer hours were completed, she asked if she could continue volunteering. You’ll now find Corrina handing out pastries to food bank clients with a smile. “I’m grateful every single day,” she says.