Meet Yhohannah

Meet Yhohannah, a client of Mind Forward for over 25 years! Since her injury at the tender age of four, Yhohannah, or “Yho” as we fondly know her, has learned to ask for help when needed and faces every day with a courageous spirit. She has always been motivated to step outside of her comfort zone and channel her energy into creative outlets as sources of support and inspiration.

When asked about the biggest challenges since her brain injury, Yhohannah shared, “When I was a child, my family and I moved around a lot and I found it hard to make friends. It’s still hard to keep friends, especially female friends.” Despite this challenge, she has learned to take life one day at a time and to find strength from her faith and independence. Writing poetry and creating art are personal hobbies that also play an important role in her recovery and self-expression.

Yhohannah’s advice for other’s who are navigating life after brain injury is to “follow your dreams no matter what…there’s more than one way to skin a cat.” This tenacious attitude has led to many memorable achievements, such as winning a speech competition in grade 2 with a presentation about penguins.

When faced with tough days, Yhohannah finds comfort in knowing that there is always someone available to listen and support her at Mind Forward. She acknowledges that the organization has played a crucial role in her rehab journey. Reflecting on this, she says, they have helped me live where I am”, highlighting the critical role our services have played in Yhohannah’s life.

In her spare time, Yhohannah loves to paint, read, and write poetry. Her favourite book is “Memoirs of a Geisha”. If given the chance to have dinner with anyone, she would choose Jesus, because she feels it would strengthen her faith. A fun fact you may not know about Yhohannah is that she is a clown – literally! She has been able to spread her joyful spirit by putting on her clown costume and entertaining at various events.

Join us in celebrating Yhohannah and all of her wonderful accomplishments. Her story is a testament to the strength and resilience of the brain injury community.