Kerri loves English history and spends her free time reading and playing with her pet chihuahua. Having a great empathy and passion for helping others, Kerr went to college at the age of 51 and got her bachelor’s degree in Sociology. She is a Certified Trauma Support Specialist and is currently working towards becoming a Certified Trauma and Resiliency life coach.
Kerri's Journey with TBI
When Kerri was younger, she experienced an emotionally and physically abusive relationship. After years of abuse, she noticed herself getting confused easily, mixing up her words when she tried to speak, and getting frequent headaches. These symptoms, along with the brain aneurism she suffered, caused her to lose part of her vision, information processing, proper sleep, and led to severe mental health issues.
In 2010, Kerri decided to use her experience to help others that are victims of domestic violence (DV) through working in domestic violence shelters both in Ohio and Phoenix. Three years ago she founded her own organization, End DV Now. She has spent 8 years working with victims of DV who have suffered a TBI, and helps them find resources and services to live healthier, more fulfilled lives. Kerri currently serves as a Certified Trauma Support Specialist for The CACTIS Foundation in Scottsdale, Arizona. Being able to understand others’ situations and their symptoms on a deeper level has been extremely rewarding for Kerri.
Why does Kerri want to be an ambassador?
Aside from wanting to help people with TBI that have a story like hers, Kerri appreciates MSKTC TBI resources because they are evidence-based and cover a wide range of situations. Being familiar with the MSKTC website for some time, Kerri believes MSKTC resources would be incredibly helpful to the individuals with DV she works with and wants to begin sharing them. She also hopes to work with MSKTC to produce more TBI resources specifically related to DV.
What has Kerri done as an ambassador?
Kerri has shared links to MSKTC resources on Twitter and plans to share them on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram as well. She provides relevant MSKTC resources to various advocacy groups and organizations, including End DV Now, and plans to share and discuss MSKTC resources directly with DV victims through her organization in the future. Kerri also has plans to share MSKTC resources with domestic service providers and law enforcement organizations, as well as indigenous people organizations.