Today we’d like to introduce you to Danielle Lindsay.
Hi Danielle, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
My story starts in 2018, While playing NCAA Women’s lacrosse at my college in Alabama I received my first traumatic brain injury. Despite constant bizarre symptoms post-injury, I returned to the field in January 2019, only to receive a shot directly to my skull. This is one of my only memories from the entire year. I suffered a second brain injury, second impact syndrome, and to this day, I am a disabled individual battling Post Concussion syndrome. Every day is an uphill battle. My team of medical professionals informed me, a 19-year-old honor student, that I needed to prepare myself to never be able to return to university, and if I happened to recover enough to return, that I needed to prepare to never perform well academically again. From a Business double major, triple minor honors student, to a college dropout within mere days. I suffered muscle damage in my eyes, could not walk properly and I had incurred speech impairments and delays in both English and Spanish. I found myself going from pulling all-nighters to finish my schoolwork, to praying and pleading with God at night to allow me to wake up the next morning. Despite my doctor’s prognosis, I knew that I was going to persist. That spring, only 4 months after my devastating injury I received correspondence that I was accepted in the wildly exclusive internship program at The White House: Executive Office of the President of the United States of America.
This is my comeback story. I toiled endlessly to re-learn how to walk, speak and see so that I could serve my country at the highest office in the country. I knew that despite my suffering I desperate wanted to give back to my country that has provided me, a young disabled woman, the freedom to live my dreams. I did it. Not only did I get to go back to college, I miraculously survived, I was able to walk, on my own, into the doors of the White House and actually speak to our nation’s leaders was truly a miracle for me. I was as dedicated then as I am now and knew I had to do whatever it took to serve my country. I graduated at the top of my class, earlier than anyone my age. After graduation, I was capable of moving across the country to a brand-new state and begin my career in the Aerospace and Defense industry as a financial analyst. Once again using my skills to serve my country. Immersing myself in such a beautiful, diverse, and welcoming city such as Orlando has been such a blessing and I am beyond excited to continue using my expertise to further my career in such a wonderful community.
I have learned to excel in spite of the disability as it has been defined by others. My insatiable competitive drive does not allow me to let something like a Traumatic Brain Injury slow me down nor let others catch up. Despite this “disability” I wish to serve my country and share my love of American ideals and respect for the American Dream with the world. I will stop at nothing to serve my country and the world and use my skills to make the world a better place.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
For a large part of my journey, I was genuinely terrified that I would not survive. This led to me becoming born again into my faith in God. I knew that I had faith and put everything I had, that not only would I surviving, I would overcome. Not once did I believe the dozens of people that doubled me, those that told me I would never recover and bounce back. There is truly nothing more valuable that persistence and full belief in yourself and your abilities.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
During my journey with my Brain Injury, my biggest saving grace and most effective therapy was art. dealing with so many emotions, thought and pain during my injury was so confusing and I had a speech impediment which retracted me from understanding and speaking about my struggles. Being able to sit down with a paintbrush and a canvas is how I am able to show the world how my disability affects my mind and my brain. I can demonstrate what I see when I hear music, when I’m hurting, and when I am happy. Unluckily for me, I was one of the very unfortunate souls who had to graduate college and enter the workforce in a Covid-ruled world. When work was scarce during Covid-19, I decided to pursue my creative arts and sold handmade gemstone Jewelry and paintings. To this day I specialize in using my Synesthesia (perceptual phenomenon in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway. ex. Seeing colors in music) to paint music onto canvas. I am able to sell and gift beautiful and unique interpretations of people’s favorite music in a visual manner rather than auditory. Though I consider myself a businesswoman, I love to live in such a creative community such as Orlando do that gives me endless inspiration to pursue my creative side as well.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
Something I am very passionate about is Protecting Florida’s springs and natural wildlife. Most of my weekends are spent volunteering with conservation organizations that educate the public and directly assist in efforts to preserve Florida for future generations. It is one of my biggest inspirations for not only my art but my life. Rather than support me directly I would love to bring awareness to the protection of this unique ecosystem. The Nature Conservancy (nature.org) states, “Florida’s springs are one of our state’s highly cherished resources, nourishing people and wildlife, providing critical groundwater to rivers and estuaries, delivering freshwater for bottling, and offering unique opportunities for recreation. Our springs are iconic – many state parks provide access to these beautiful and important natural features. When thinking about our springs, people often envision Florida’s beloved manatees, as well as the many other species of wildlife that rely on these clear waters, from rare fish and mussels to black bears.
The Florida springs region is one of the most unique freshwater regions anywhere, boasting the largest concentration of springs in the world from one of the highest-producing aquifers. The Floridan Aquifer underlies an area of approximately 100,000 square miles and extends from portions of South Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, and throughout all of Florida. The aquifer provides drinking water to most cities in the central and northern part of our state.”
I would love if the community could collaborate with me in bringing awareness to the human destruction of Florida’s Springs. There are several organizations such as Marine Discovery Center (New Smyrna Beach) who I volunteer with, that accept donations to assist in education, conservancy, and recovery of the ecosystems, it would be amazing if the community could rally behind saving a wonder of nature that is so close to home!
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