Bio: I’m Robin Lynn Young, was born on March 26, 1970, in Hannibal, MO, to Pastor Robert Lee Holland and Goldie Estelle French. I’m married to Markey Young, who also is a retired veteran who served 28 years and currently works at NSA at Fort Gordon in Augusta, GA. I have four beautiful children, JazMone’ 28, Justin 27, Jordan 22 (in Grad School at UGA), and Jared (Junior in College), 21.
I served over 24 years of military service to include 12 years of Army Reserves times. My job in the military was a nurse, I always loved helping others even as a little girl. I loved being a nurse so much even as an adult. I received the awards, Star Performance in Patient Care and Nurse of the Year.
In January 2012, while on active-duty I got orders and was mobilized to Fort Leonard Wood, MO to backfill for the NCOIC for the Department of Nursing. In the last week of June, I was doing a lot of training with soldiers, including that Saturday. Although, I wasn’t feeling well, one of my soldiers asked me to help her train for her physical training test. I hesitated at first, but I told her yes and proceeded with helping her to work out. Not knowing that decision would change the rest of my life.
While we were working out, I was having trouble breathing and I fell to the ground. I started having seizures, and when I arrived at the hospital by ambulance, I stopped breathing. They had to intubate me and put me on a breathing apparatus.
Eventually, I was airlifted to the hospital, soon after I coded, and they had done CPR on me and brought me back. I was put on a ventilator for about three days. Once off the ventilator, on July 4, they had me up trying to get me to walk and I coded again, but this time wasn’t so easy, my heart took longer to come back, and I didn’t get enough oxygen to my brain which is called brain anoxia. So, once again, I was placed on a ventilator for a week. This time when I awoke, I didn’t know my family, I didn’t know how to walk, my left side was paralyzed, I couldn’t talk, feed myself, or dress.
The doctors told my husband that I had a fever of 105, heat stroke, and double pneumonia and was very sick. It was going to take time for my body to heal and would need to go through long term rehab.
Once I got over the pneumonia, I was medevac to fort Gordon[active-duty rehab] where I spent the most of recovery time. I spent about a year here where I got physical therapy, speech/memory therapy, occupational therapy, and recreational therapy.
I had to learn who my husband and children were again. I had to relearn how to be a mom, to swallow, bathe myself, and dress. This took hard work and determination. I’m now using a longstol crutch, walker, or bionese.
Even with these injuries, I have been able to accomplish being Commander and Deputy Commander with the Woman’s Veterans’ Organization of the CRSRA (3 Years) Assistant Treasurer (1 Year), the Service Officer of the Post 337 America Legion, (2 years)and Kappa Epsilon Psi Military Sorority.
I do a lot of community service such as the Golden Harvest Food Bank, United Way, Salvation Army, Iron Man, and with Homeless Veterans. I now currently founded my own nonprofit called Sistah Soldiers United Organization, INC and owner of Jokers Comedy Club on Wheels.
I was with Neuro Restorative and while there, I was featured on the news for making over 25 blankets for NICUS babies while recovering from my brain injury.
Recently, I was featured on the Today’s Show for soldiers’ dealing with PTSD during Veterans Day weekends.
With all I have been through, I have found out that the most rewarding is giving back.
Impact art has made: Art has helped me find peace, when my surroundings is chaotic. I do work on art and it takes me to a peaceful place.
New Beginnings: What my painting represents is the new found beauty I found in myself. For a long time I didn’t like myself because I was no longer the person I used to be. I learned how to accept my new norm and find the beauty in me, and I hope thru my painting, you can see how beautiful I feel.
Piece created with: I used pencil to outline, paint, and paper.
