Carrying hope forward: a daughter's steadfast journey with TIRR Memorial Hermann

When Mahi Korpe was 11, her entire world changed in an instant. Her dad, Rahul Korpe, was hit by an intoxicated driver in 2020. The crash caused a traumatic brain injury so severe that he lost the ability to walk, talk, eat, or move on his own. Overnight, her father, who had been the family’s strength, full of life, laughter, and warmth, was fighting for survival. In those first days, the family didn’t know if they would ever hear his voice again or share another moment together.

That was before the Korpe family found TIRR Memorial Hermann.

Kahi remembers walking through those hospital doors for the first time to see her dad. Her mind was full of questions. She never thought that she would enter a rehabilitation center to see one of the most vital parts of her life in critical condition. Inside, she found something unexpected: people who refused to see her dad only as a patient with a devastating injury. They saw him as a father, a husband, a man with a story still unfolding.

In those early weeks, every small improvement felt like a miracle. A flicker of movement in his fingers. A blink of recognition. A faint smile when they played his favorite Bollywood song. Those moments were reminders that he was still there and worth every ounce of fight they had left. TIRR Memorial Hermann became more than a hospital. It became a second home, a lifeline, and a place where hope always prospered.

Now, four years later, her dad is continuing to move forward in his journey. He has begun using LiteGait to take supported steps. He’s learning to communicate through an assistive device, facial expressions, and hand signals they’ve developed as a family. They’ve created their own language, including long blinks for “yes,” and a squeeze of the hand for “I love you.” Sometimes, no words are needed at all.

This journey has shaped Mahi into more than a daughter. She's become a caregiver, an advocate, and a fighter not just for her dad, but for anyone who feels unseen in their struggle. Mahi and her older brother share the role of being their dad’s voice, making sure his needs and dignity are always honored. They’ve learned that leadership doesn’t have to be loud. It can be steady, quiet, and deeply present.

That’s why Mahi volunteers at TIRR Memorial Hermann today.

As a 17-year-old senior in high school, she spends her free time giving back to the very place that gave her family back its heartbeat. She wants families coming out of TIRR Memorial Hermann to know that everything will be okay. That progress can come in many forms, and that every small step forward matters.

Now, Mahi volunteers at the hospital.Photo courtesy of Memorial Hermann

Through her volunteer work, Mahi has learned that healing is never just physical; it's emotional, mental, and shared. It takes families, caregivers, therapists, and communities coming together, choosing compassion over convenience and inclusion over isolation.

TIRR Memorial Hermann didn’t just help heal her dad. They helped shape Mahi's future. They showed her that hope is a muscle. Even though it tears when pressure is placed onto it, it will take time to regenerate, heal, and come back stronger.

Now, it’s her turn to carry that hope forward one smile, one kind word, one small act of care at a time. Because healing doesn’t happen alone. It happens together.

Learn more about the Brain Injury Program at TIRR Memorial Hermann.

Mahi’s dad, Rahul, experienced a traumatic brain injury nearly six years ago. He underwent inpatient rehabilitation at TIRR Memorial Hermann in the Texas Medical Center during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Rahul has continued his rehabilitation journey at Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital, a Memorial Hermann Rehabilitation Network location. Mahi is set to graduate from high school in May 2026 and looks forward to attending Rice University this fall.

TIRR is a registered trademark of TIRR Foundation.

a bright flame

Houston's game-changing free arts academy breaks ground in the East End

Frank Liu Jr. Academy for Music and Arts (FLAMA) exterior

Rendering courtesy of OMA

A rendering of the exterior of the Frank Liu Jr. Academy for Music and Arts (FLAMA)'s exterior. The new school broke ground in the East End last week.

Houston’s newest school for arts and music broke ground last week in the city’s historic East End. The Frank Liu Jr. Academy for Music and Arts (FLAMA), a tuition-free charter school, will welcome students in pre-K through 8th grade next August.

Members of the Liu family, the school’s founding board members, elected officials, and East End community partners gathered at Buffalo Bayou Partnership’s historic Turkey Bend development for the official groundbreaking ceremony on October 8, which kicked off with a performance by the Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts’ Mariachi group.

The new school is on a portion of the former Folgers Coffee Plant, located at 235 N. Norwood St. OMA, an international architectural firm known for its approach to urbanism, cultural projects, and adaptive reuse, is transforming the 1930s plant into a state-of-the-art educational facility.

“We’re excited to celebrate this milestone for FLAMA and look forward to seeing the transformation of the historic Folgers plant into a new home for music and arts education,” said Jason Long, one of the firm’s partners. “Like fine-tuning an instrument, our design recalibrates the existing industrial structure into an open, connected, and expressive environment for learning. FLAMA will be a new learning environment that builds on the character of the existing building while giving it new life for the community.”

Unfolding across three stories, the school draws inspiration from Montessori education principles, which prioritize openness, independence, and collective learning through shared “neighborhoods.”

It all begins when students, families and guests enter through a private courtyard. The welcoming space will change the building’s original industrial facade into a brightly colored, kid-friendly spot, complete with yellow and green blocks spelling out the school’s name. The original windows will be restored to preserve the building’s historic character and upgraded to meet contemporary energy standards. Similarly, all of the school’s classrooms are located around the building’s perimeter, providing an abundance of natural light.

Inside, FLAMA’s three stories are divided so that younger students will find their classrooms at the school’s base, and they will move upward through the school as they progress through grade levels. The ground level has a common area for younger kids that could host drum circles, movement classes or “breakout play.”

Children in first and second grade have their own, larger open space, with an eye-catching staircase, that's inspired by the curve of a French horn. The space lends itself to everything from small gatherings to performances by the school’s early musicians.

As students progress through grades three and higher, they’ll find FLAMA’s upper floors created to meet their growing artistic and intellectual needs. One example is the open library, a shared spot for students in third through fifth grades. It has flexible furniture that can transform the space into a place for group study and project work, as well as one that can host after-school activities. Directly above this library is a second common room for middle schoolers where students in sixth, seventh, and eighth grades can study.

These two libraries are connected by an F-shaped floor opening that references both the F-hole of a string instrument and the forte symbol. Musicians know this curly f as a note indicating them to play a passage with strength. That could easily be a metaphor for the school itself, which will combine high-quality education with rigorous academics. This visual cue emphasizes FLAMA’s desire for music and art instruction to amplify learning across reading, writing, math, and science.

“This will be a place where children can discover their talents, families can find opportunities close to home, and music and art can open the doors to a stronger education,” said Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia, who attended the groundbreaking. “I know how much it matters when someone brings opportunity within the reach of a child.”

Dr. R. Scott Allen, FLAMA’s founding superintendent and former principal of Kinder HSPVA, spoke about the school’s vision to pair a rigorous, engaging academic opportunity with deep immersion in music and visual arts.

Congressman Christian Menefee, State Senator Carol Alvarado, and Houston City Councilmember Mario Castillo also delivered remarks at the ceremony, speaking about the school’s power to not only transform Houston’s Second, Third, and Fifth Ward communities, but also bring incredible education opportunities to students. Former Mayor Annise Parker, former State Board of Education Member Staci Childs, State Representative Christina Morales, and Houston City Councilmembers Joaquin Martinez and Sallie Alcorn also attended the event.

“In this city, known for our undeniable contributions to music and arts, the gap has never been ability or talent; it has always been opportunity, and opportunity can be built,” said Kirby Liu, who spoke at the groundbreaking, memorializing his late brother’s vision of arts education for the youngest Houstonians. “When it comes to opportunity being foreclosed on our children, we will try like hell to bust those damned doors down.”

The Frank Liu Jr. Foundation has pledged $20 million in financial support during FLAMA’s first years of operation.

Applications are now open for kindergarten and first-grade students for the 2027-2028 school year.

Rendering courtesy of OMA

A rendering of the exterior of the Frank Liu Jr. Academy for Music and Arts (FLAMA)'s exterior. The new school broke ground in the East End last week.

flama frank liu jr academy for music and arts east end performing-arts education