Corina is a seasonal farmworker from Northern California. She works pruning, harvesting and processing walnuts. Over the years she has worked packing peanuts, almonds and other seeds. A few years ago, Corina suffered a severe head injury and, as a result, she discovered she has a tumor near her brain stem. Corina opted to not have a risky surgery that could potentially clear the tumor but posed high risks for her life. The surgery had a 50% chance of death and a 50% chance of paraplegia. With this diagnosis, Corina has now made some changes in her diet and daily living, she is more active as she is monitored. She attends the local promotores conferences to learn more about resources and preserve her health and keep her safe during her seasonal work. Corina is the sole provider to her 3 young children.
Corina met CalAgrability during a Western Regional Agricultural Stress Assistance Program mental health and exercise group. During this time, Corina was stressed as a rural clinic had informed her she had colorectal cancer. CalAgrability helped her understand the cancer screening process and advocated for Corina during her follow up medical visit. Fortunately, Corina was not diagnosed with cancer, her initial exam was a false positive. CalAgrAbility worked with Corina to help her strategize to reduce stress to help her focus during work at the farm as she operates heavy machinery.