True Story: Lonely & Broken No More : Women’s Online Magazine™ - The first choice magazine for today’s women

True Story: Lonely & Broken No More

Originally published on 02/01/2008 - 12:49 a.m. GMT

Imagine being an adopted two-year old dropped off in front of a strange new house with a single toy in hand, and only the clothes on your back.

This is what happened to Kitty Kavey.

Adopted by a single mother, Kitty struggled throughout her childhood, and consistently made bad life decisions. As a teenager, she was kicked out of school and ran away from home. She ended up homeless, and for five years wandered all over the United States.

At 20, Kitty was in a devastating motorcycle accident. She suffered a brain injury, broken bones in her face, and loss of vision. Adding to it, she also went into cardiac arrest and had a stroke. She was without health insurance and released prematurely from the hospital with the serious injuries. Just as she was when she was a child, she was left with only the clothes on her back — but this time, with nowhere to go.

Kitty sought out help but was rejected by two brain injury rehabilitation clinics because she was unable to care for herself. They recommended she be put in a state-run facility, but Kitty knew she could get better — she wouldn’t give up. Kitty undertook the tough task of teaching herself how to speak again, walk properly, and learn the compensatory skills for her brain damage and vision impairment. Kitty was a fighter – and despite all of these challenges she somehow made it through.

Sadly, almost 10 years after the accident, Kitty found herself homeless again. This time, she took responsibility and used her smarts. Kitty shares, “In the past, I would have searched for a charity to provide me with necessities. This time I found an apartment-leasing agent and told him my story. I had no job, and no rental history or references, but received $310 a month disability — I could pay the rent with that.” Surprisingly, he took her word and found her an apartment.

Life was tough, but Kitty was hopeful about her future. She started to model and launched a modeling website. In a year, the website had grown and she was able to purchase a modest condo with her savings. After that, she never looked back. The website expanded and split to form a sister site for acting – and she was able to sign with an agent.

Acting was difficult for Kitty, as she sometimes struggled with lengthy dialogue and her vision was a setback. She knew that she had to explore other options, and from there, she found her passion. She began to learn about the other side of the camera – directing, producing and screenwriting. Soon, she developed confidence and self-worth. “Whatever your passion is, there is a way to get paid to do it. And when you’re doing what you love, every day you wake up you want to go to work! You feel fulfilled and good about yourself.”

Kitty Kavey has worked diligently to ensure her independence and success and today, she has learned compensatory skills to cope with the brain damage - in fact she is a member of MENSA. Through surgeries, she rebuilt her face, and regained the vision that she was told was impossible to recover.