Other personal accounts...

Jay's

Kirsten's

Tim's

BrendaLee Riley

The following is about some of  BrendaLee's experiences prior to joining the Village as well as since she has been a member at the Village.  BrendaLee is currently working on her autobiography.  

I am a 40 year old, widowed, Caucasian woman. I was diagnosed with schizophrenia in my early twenties. In February of 1981 my husband set our house on fire in what turned out to be a successful attempt at suicide and an unsuccessful attempt at killing me. Afterwards, I was left with a diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and burns over 50% of my body.

I became a Village member in October of 1996. Before the Village, I was hospitalized frequently, but since I have been a member at the Village, I have not been hospitalized once (other than for medical problems).

After the fire in 1981, I was in the hospital while my husband was buried. I had many uncertainties about his death and reoccurring nightmares of my husband on fire at the end of my bed. Through the help of my Personal Service Coordinator (PSC), I was able to attain a Death Certificate for my husband and visit his grave. Both acts were liberating. I gained closure from seeing the grave and found comfort through touching the death certificate whenever I had a nightmare.

In 1996 I got my own apartment and was there until a month ago when I moved to a bigger apartment.

I was a receptionist at the Village for nine months and since then I have been a Life Coach. One of the first members that I life coached needed help grocery shopping. We were walking to the store and I realized that at the store there would be people walking behind me. I have a problem with people walking behind me because you never know what they are going to do. We got into the store and I decided that he would push the cart and I would walk in front of the cart.

I have been in the same church since 1990 where I also work in the nursery. I tried to go to school but was unable to continue because of my fear of crowds. Since I was still interested in academic learning, I decided to go to correspondence school and have made straight A’s in my Theological studies.

Currently, I spend much of my free time writing and reading poetry. Initially, I not only avoided reading my poetry in public, but avoided being in public as much as possible because I felt uncomfortable with peoples’ stares at the burn scars on my face. I credit my PSC’s "step approach" to helping me feel comfortable with public recitations. At first I went with my PSC to the coffee shop and sat at an outside table. Gradually I went from meeting my PSC at the coffee shop, to sitting inside near the door, to getting their drinks on my own, to finally feeling comfortable reading a poem at one of the coffee shop’s poetry readings. I am still reading poetry at various poetry readings. Just recently, I was informed that one of my poems will be published in a new anthology of poetry.

I think that the "Whatever it takes philosophy" of the Village allows me to determine my own goals while staff try and help me create opportunities that work. I am currently working on my autobiography and a book of poetry that I hope to publish someday.