Biography
	Francine Corso
	aka
	Francine Matson
	of Fort Salonga
	Long Island , NY

After working my way back from a brain hemmorhage and 3 weeks in a coma, I found, quite by accident that I have a new artistic ability.

I was only one of two women who graduated from the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences (NYU).Since I was female I had difficultly finding employment.

I received an offer from Grumman Corporation to work on test software on the Lunar Module (LM), through the Affirmative Action Program. I was the first non-administrative woman in the flight test department.
I was employed for eight years and was terminated when I was six months pregnant.  That was the policy at the time.
I worked as a consultant for various small companies for a few years, so that I could manage my time with my daughter.
When I returned to Grumman there were no longer any “space programs”, so I worked with embedded software in avionics for various military aircraft.
I felt guilty using my talent and education for military applications, which indirectly killed people.
One afternoon I was found unconscious on my kitchen floor from a massive brain hemorrhage. I wasn’t expected to live. I survived the brain surgery and was in a coma for three weeks.
Not only did I survive, I fought my way out of the wheelchair. Through BOCES, I started driving again. But I was housebound, driving only for shopping and various errands.
I found the HY Feinstein Clubhouse for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): Where people with various brain injuries got together to socialize and learn skills dealing with their disability. I realized how lucky I am, my challenge is not as bad as it could be.  I also volunteered at the Family Service League of Huntington for several years. Then, my daughter bought me a box of pastels and paper one Christmas- she realized anything trying to open tubes or bottles