Donna Valentino was born and raised in Queens, New York. After graduating fromhigh school in 1979, she worked full time at various companies. She married in1987 and had two children, Nikki and Jordan. She coached her son's soccer team,managed both kids' basketball teams, and stayed active in the PTA. She also playedtennis on a team with good friends for seventeen years. On February 7, 2009,Donna's life as she knew it was turned upside down. As a result of a traumatic braininjury, all the physical activities she once treasured became impossible. Enjoyingtime with her children was put on hold. Starting a new relationship with someonespecial was cut short. Recently, after years of recovery and rebuilding her life, shewrote Headstrong: Surviving a Traumatic Brain Injury without Losing My Mind aspart of a new beginning and as a way to give hope to others who have survived lifealtering accidents.