Kristina Curry is a 41 year old, female Army veteran. Due to crush injuries to her left side during a training exercise, she was only able to serve under a year. Because of her injuries, she has had a number of surgeries to maintain as much mobility as possible, including 4 revisions of a hip replacement, 4-6 surgeries before the hip replacement, and multiple right foot surgeries. During her last surgery, she learned she has a bone disorder. Over time, her bones will get weaker and fracture very easily. She also has arthritis in her spine with degenerative disc disease. She had to medically retire from her dream job working in the medical field.

 

In the last 6 months, she has had over 10 fractures in her right foot due to her continual attempts to maintain her ability to walk, and hairline fractures on her spine. Her body is breaking down from the 15+ years of walking with crutches, a cane, and other mobility support devices. Her mobility decreased to wheelchair use outside of the house 18 months ago. This is currently her “normal”.

 

On good days (though these are becoming rarer), she still uses canes to get around. Growing up, she was always an outdoor girl. Now, her manual wheelchair gets stuck in the grass or mud when she attempts just about anything outdoorsy. This has caused her shoulder to get hurt and it is now pending surgery. She misses having the ability to go outside to hike, fish, and camp. 

 

As a coping strategy for the loss of self she has felt, she began woodworking and creating resin art. While she enjoys selling her artwork at craft shows, she would love to get back to nature, find ways to camp and fish, and get back to the beach again. She also wants to be able to attend craft shows without the complications of getting stuck or getting mud allover her beautiful artwork while she is setting up her booth. When she is not focused on her woodworking and resin art, or dealing with the VA for medical treatments, she takes care of her 11-year-old ADHD/ASD son, Jonathan, and enjoys playing with her 2 year old grandbaby, Aubrey. Her additional hobbies include gardening, crocheting, traveling around the states, and anything to do with water.