MT. JULIET, Tenn. (WTVF) — At the library in Mt. Juliet, you never know what you might find. But recently, tucked in the pages of a children's book was a mysterious photo of a woman. A library patron posted about it on Facebook, hoping to find the woman in the photo.
"My first reaction was dread, I was a little bit embarrassed," said Mt. Juliet mother Kathryn Hollis, who dedicated 24 years of her life to the Air Force. The photo was of Hollis in uniform during basic training.
Hollis is a veteran of the war in Afghanistan.
"So I looked at that photo almost daily while I was in the darkest period of my life, and so my kids are used to seeing it which is very apparent because they grabbed it and used it in a book," she laughed.
But the photo tells the story of a dark period in her life — when she suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder.
"I wrote a message to myself on the back of the photo," said Hollis. "That was just a reminder to myself that I'm not those experiences. I'm not what I did there and the reason why I joined was genuine."
Now as she transitions to civilian life, Hollis hopes her story will help others. "So by sharing my story I have met quite a few veterans in our community and it's a great group people," she said.
As she writes her next chapter, she plans to work with others struggling with PTSD.
"It's not easy getting through that type of illness but you can do it," said Hollis. "Don't give up, and there are people here who know what you've experienced and have your back."
