I AM. WE ARE.

Stories of Inspiration and Courage. Acceptance and Strength. Healing and Hope. Headstrong’s story, expressed by some of the individuals who have joined our mission of heal the hidden wounds of war, is who we are.
Inspiration

Kenny was in his office in the South Tower of the World Trade Center on the morning of September 11, 2001. He shares the decision that saved his life, a firsthand account of the terror experienced at Ground Zero that day, and how it provided the inspiration that created Headstrong.

 

Courage

Six-year-old Sumeya was at the airport in her native East Africa waiting to board a flight and move to the United States on September 11, 2001, which she finally did 6 years later. She shares how she found the courage to singlehandedly take on the US Army – as well as the trauma of years of abuse in her childhood – and, in both cases, win.

Acceptance

Eight months pregnant Dawn, her husband Eddie and their young daughter were stationed at Fort Campbell on September 11, 2001. Three subsequent deployments to the Middle East left him battling severe PTSD, a battle he ultimately lost to suicide. Dawn shares her journey to acceptance, and the power to help others that’s come with it.

Strength

Kionte was in junior high in Oakland, California on September 11, 2001. He joined the Marines after graduation. While leading a team sent to thwart an ambush attempt in Afghanistan, a land mine took his leg. He shares the key to finding the strength needed to stand back up in the wake of that loss, become an elite Paralympic athlete and ultimately climb one of the world’s tallest mountains.

Healing

Colleen was on a college campus just outside New York City on September 11, 2001. A registered nurse serving in the Navy, she rose through the ranks to become a Division Officer at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, where she was assaulted and ultimately left the service. She shares her personal journey as a professional healer who must now heal herself; a journey that’s brought her full circle.

Hope

Eric was in his Air Force unit’s office on September 11, 2001. Numerous back-to-back-to-back deployments left him struggling with PTSD and mental trauma, a struggle he nearly lost. He shares the realization that stopped him minutes before ending his own life, and the key to finding and holding on to hope, even when all seems lost.