Mary Lou was a dedicated mother who was home schooling her two boys and supporting her husband as he worked on his PhD.  However, her husband would occasionally burst into fits of raging anger.  He was abusive with his language and with his hands.  There were times when he grabbed Mary Lou by the shoulders and slammed her head into the wall.  She blamed herself for upsetting him and promised to be a better wife.  When she went to the doctor, he confirmed that she had suffered a brain injury and that he would not treat her because she refused to leave her husband.  She though she was being a faithful wife. 

One day, Mary Lou's husband came home and announced that he had filed for a divorce as he had another woman in his life.  Since they were living in student housing, she was forced to leave.  Her family lived in California and she was not able to take the boys out of the state.  She was in shock and the trauma impaired her ability to think.  She had no place to go and didn't know what to do. 

Mary Lou was able to enter the CHF Transitional Housing Program.  She needed time to recover physically so that her brain could generate new pathways.  She also needed much counseling and support to restore her confidence and self-esteem. 

Now, Mary Lou is a new woman.  She is in school working on a bachelors degree in nursing.  Recently, she scored a 98 on a biology test which was the second highest score in this very difficult class.  Her goal is to become a legal nurse, which is a specialty in the nursing field.  She is well on her way to becoming self-sufficient.