For as long as she can remember, Tanya has faced a lot of uncertainty in her life. As a child, her mother suffered from drug addiction, and Tanya was left very vulnerable as a young girl. She suffered years of abuse and was sexually assaulted multiple times, all before she turned 18.
Despite all of the hardship she endured, Tanya moved from Brooklyn, NY, to Ohio when she was 18 to attend college. She completed her bachelor’s degree in social work and criminology at The Ohio State University and went on to work as a social worker in Columbus.
As a young adult, Tanya suffered from severe night terrors and began therapy in her early 20s. She was ultimately diagnosed with PTSD from the years of trauma she experienced and began a years-long journey of healing.
In 2016, Tanya temporarily moved back to Brooklyn to reconcile her relationship with her mother. After four years, she returned to Columbus and became very sick. Tanya experienced liver failure, blindness, and heart failure all within a few years. She was unable to work and couldn’t afford her rent, relying on her only daughter to help her make ends meet.
Tanya ultimately applied for housing with CHN and moved into her own apartment a year ago.
"Being here is like a true blessing," Tanya said. "Before, I couldn’t pay all of my bills, and I was always playing catch-up. Now, I’m able to pay everything. It’s wonderful."
Since she moved in, CHN has helped Tanya maintain her ongoing medical treatment and helped connect her to new counseling when her insurance abruptly stopped covering her previous provider. But for Tanya, one of the most pivotal aspects of CHN has been the support system she gained through her building’s supportive staff.
"I’m really grateful to have them as part of my life right now," she said. "I can go to them to talk to them about anything."
Today, Tanya is healthy, she’s regained her eyesight, and she spends her free time with her granddaughter. With her first grandson on the way, having stable housing has enabled Tanya to support her daughter instead of it being the other way around.
"I thank God for where I'm at right now because I could have been dead. I thank him for helping me overcome as many obstacles as I have in my life,” she said. “I can say CHN has truly been a blessing."
