Hi, I’m Symone :)

I am in the process of rebuilding life after a head injury that caused long term neurological symptoms. I struggled in full-time schooling and career due to dissociative amnesia, issues with executive function, nerve pain and nervous system regulation. During this time, I did not have stable housing.

My current obstacle is autonomic nervous system shutdowns (dysautonomia) due to post-concussion symptoms, mental stress and autistic burnout. These shutdowns worsened and peaked during my ongoing housing instability.

However, I took pride and found honor in having the opportunity to learn my body in such a unique manner. I learned how to overcome these scary and new sensations using external tools and vagus nerve activation techniques during lonely stays in hotel rooms provided to me by friends.

Depending on severity, I experience a number of different symptoms including, but not limited to: entire loss of motor function and speech, involuntary body movements, nausea, vomiting, difficulty breathing, increased heart-rate, cold sweats, and hot flashes.

I took it upon myself to document these shutdowns using AI journaling tools and a phone camera. I plan to use these recordings to better advocate for my health, and, hopefully, assist others who experience similar.

I plan to continue my BS in Integrative Health and supplement the degree with Registered Yoga Teacher, Somatic Healing, and Trauma-Informed Yoga certificates.

Life got very small as I faced these challenges head on-focusing on healing and recovery. Today, I am gently re-entering life after securing a safe place to live, thrive and build a new foundation.

This gofundme will help support medical expenses and basic needs as I continue to rebuild from “the grass” up.

My friends see me as a “bundle of positivity even when you're going through it.”

I’ve never seen myself as such, just a human spreading kindness because it's what we're here to do.

I found inspiration in tadpoles and Finding Nemo. Tadpoles adapt to survive, and Nemo never gave up until he found home. I’m grateful to say that I finally find home within myself (again).

Thank you for reading, sharing, or simply being here. Each connection (big or small) has been a major part of this rebuild too.

Make it great day and stay hydrated.

Donate what you can and take these fun facts with you:

+ Basking Sharks are the second largest living shark species. Swimming with mouths wide open, they choose a peaceful life collecting plankton. If they ever needed to evolve into a more vicious species, I believe they could. Its beautiful that even in harsh waters, nature still chooses softness. Unfortunately, they are a vulnerable species-being found beached in the complex currents of Cape Cod.

+ Some snails shed their shells and grow to become large slugs! A period of shedding leaves them vulnerable, but their resilient nature aids their perseverance.

+ Theodore Roosevelt is one of the Harvard Scholars who pushed the change to drop the “u” from words, such as “colour", "behaviour", and "neighbour."

+ During Ancient Greece, a group of students began rebelling against the Latin language (just as Roosevelt did with UK English). This was believed to be the creation of the French language!