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In December of 2016, Kristin Topping’s life changed in a fraction of a second. It wasn’t supposed to happen this way. She was an officer in the Canadian Armed Forces, she had a charmed career that took her all over the world as an engineering specialist, and she aspired to do great and important things. A split second was all it took to wash those dreams down the drain. A concussion, or in Kristin’s case a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) with loss of consciousness, is a serious injury that is accompanied with changes to a person’s physical well-being, cognitive abilities, and can result in an altered mental state. The training and the social pressures instilled over twenty-two years of military service were a deterrent to her seeking help right away for her injury. Kristin wallowed in despair for months before she would admit the significance of her problem. Her relationships collapsed, her ability to function in and out of the workplace deteriorated and her purpose was lost. When she finally admitted to herself that she needed help, she was thrown into a rehabilitation labyrinth with the hope of regaining simple skills that were taken for granted. This isn’t a sad story though; this is a story about how Kristin’s indoor garden saved her life.
