Trenton woman gives back to children in community

TRENTON, Tennessee — A woman with West Tennessee roots returned to give back to her hometown.

This holiday season, Lisa Johnson McFarland, a survivor of a multiple aneurysms and a stroke, wanted to give back to Trenton, her hometown.

“For some children, it’s a big thing. But for some kids like this, they don’t get that every day, and I remember being that child,” McFarland said.

McFarland suffered three aneurysms and one stroke at the age of 52 while singing at church.

She went to two hospitals, then ended up at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago.

“I have no recall of what happened. I stayed in the hospital for 20 days in the ICU,” McFarland said. “I have all of these pictures, and that’s how I know what happened.”

She says doctors told her family that she may have to relearn how to walk, talk and eat, and she may not know who her family is.

McFarland says that God had other plans, and just shy of a month later, she was released from the hospital.

“This is where I learned my values and my morals, and so I wanted to come back home to say ‘thank you’ for praying for me and to also give back to the children. This is the neighborhood I grew up in,” McFarland said.

Children of all ages gathered at the Phelan Educational Center for some new toys, shoes, backpacks, and some even went home with a brand-new bike.

Trinity Tyson was one of those kids in the crowd.

“I won a doll. I got a book bag, some more dolls and socks, stuff like that,” Tyson said.

Tyson says she appreciates her gifts.

“Be grateful for what you get because everyone doesn’t have things that other people do,” Tyson said.

Any leftover toys from the giveaway were donated to the Phelan Educational Center.