Chevon "Che She" Sherrod

Founder of Arm of a Stranger which provides business trainings on Customer service, bias awareness, anger management.

For over 25 years, I dedicated my life to working with disengaged youth, guiding them through their toughest challenges and helping them see a brighter future. My life was filled with purpose and fulfillment, but ten years ago, everything changed in an instant. At the age of 33, a car accident left me with a traumatic brain injury, stripping me of my ability to speak, write, and even comprehend. The world I knew disappeared, and I found myself trapped in a prison of my own mind, unable to create from a blank space or hold a pencil for more than a few seconds. Simple tasks like reading a sentence or understanding basic instructions became monumental challenges. I suffered from time blocks, losing entire segments of my day, and often found myself standing still in unfamiliar places for hours. For five long years, I was confined to my home, gripped by severe anxiety, depression, and PTSD. My self-esteem plummeted, and I felt isolated and worthless. I couldn’t take my medication on time, pay my bills, or even change my clothes regularly. I remember the heart-wrenching nights, waking my daughter, Nature, at 3 a.m. to apologize for being her mother and for the shell of a person I had become. My turning point came during a self-development workshop, where I realized I was determined to keep going despite my circumstances.