Mindy Dougherty

Mindy Dougherty has endured trauma and adversity that would have ended many lives. One of her many medical conditions, complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), is sometimes nicknamed “the suicide disease” because the full-body pain and burning sufferers experience can be relentless and, for some, has led to suicide. Despite this, Mindy is blessed with a warrior spirit and continues to fight her way toward better health. For more than two decades, the resilience and strength she has employed in overcoming these challenges have inspired people around the world.

Rather than being defeated by the obstacles that litter her path, Mindy embraces a spirit of humor and appreciation, claiming that comedy is her remedy. Her desire to serve those in need has shaped most of her actions since she was a young girl. Her years in the U.S. Army as a field medic and later as a Registered Nurse allowed her to meet the immediate medical needs of those in her care.

Despite being plagued by one medical adversity after another, Mindy’s warrior mentality drives her to heal both her body and her mind. She is a fighter who practices many healing modalities, including meditation, neurofeedback, WATSU, writing poetry, walking in the canyon, and gardening—all in pursuit of a better life.

As she faced overwhelming medical challenges and feared that her death might come soon, Mindy used her savings to create a garden that would feed the less fortunate in her community. That garden became Feed My City and is one of the finest parts of Mindy’s legacy. Her garden in Oregon has given her the opportunity to heal from the inside out, and the power she finds there is undeniable. Her desire to spread that healing—one seed, one plant, and one garden at a time—to others and their communities is contagious, and she hopes you will join her.