Native Arkansan Katrina Schwab served her country from 1996 to 1999 as a fueler in the Army. Upon leaving full-time service, she joined the reserves and served as administrative support until 2005. Her mom and brothers still live in the Cabot area. She describes herself as “a proud Veteran and the proud mother of two boys.”
While in the military reserves, Ms. Schwab was hit by an eighteen-wheeler. Though she recovered fully from her physical injuries, she developed an addiction to painkillers which eventually led to her admission to the Fort Roots Substance Abuse program. “I’ve been clean since 2012. In February of last year, I began to be concerned that I would relapse. I checked myself into Fort Roots again, but then COVID hit, and I couldn’t leave. I was there for a year. But my father died this past February from complications of kidney disease. He was supposed to be getting dialysis, but they kept postponing it because of COVID, and then it was too late. They let me go home to help my mother.”
Unfortunately, that was not a good situation for Ms. Schwab. “My mother kept alcohol in the house, and I was worried I might go back down that road. I was stressed and not sleeping. Every time I go to sleep, I see my father the way he looked when he died. I had to leave for my own mental health. I called, and the VA got me in here right away. “
Ms. Schwab is back in college to finish her bachelor’s and then plans to get her master’s in Social Work. “I’m working on getting my full VA disability benefits. And I’m getting counseling to deal with my grief and other mental health issues. I’m dealing with my father’s death. I wear his ashes in this remembrance locket, so he is always near my heart. I just want to be ok.”