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Then he was in a car accident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI had just gotten off the phone with our insurance agent after finding out we were being dropped again, for a claim they had denied, and five minutes later, I was in a major car crash,\u201d Corey said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The accident left him with a herniated disc, a severe concussion, and lingering cognitive issues that required months of therapy. To make matters worse, the driver who hit him was uninsured, and Corey\u2019s insurer denied his medical claims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Through it all, the couple never gave up on their vision for The Village Play Place. The concept had been born years earlier during a brief stint in Louisiana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Misty envisioned a space where children could play while parents connected over coffee \u2014 \u201ca place where community could grow,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEvery time something went wrong, I just felt like it was the devil trying to throw us off,\u201d Misty said. \u201cBut to me, that was confirmation that we were supposed to do this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In September 2024, after endless road- blocks and hard-fought renovations, the Shadds opened the doors to The Village Play Place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The space now offers open play, enrichment classes, birthday parties, and a pre-K program led by a certified educator using a research-based curriculum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis wasn\u2019t just a business decision,\u201d Misty said. \u201cEven down to the colors on the wall, we were intentional. I researched color psychology to create a space that\u2019s calming and inviting.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n They\u2019re already seeing the fruits of their labor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Parents form friendships over lattes, children meet developmental milestones, and families find support in each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOne day I looked up and saw three moms chatting like lifelong friends,\u201d Misty said. \u201cI asked how they knew each other, and they said, \u2018We met here.\u2019 That\u2019s what it\u2019s all about.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Corey, now working full-time in insurance, handles back-end operations while Misty manages the daily bustle at the play place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPeople say there\u2019s nothing to do here for families, and we\u2019re answering that,\u201d Corey said. \u201cWe want to be a place where families can connect, where kids thrive, and where parents don\u2019t feel so alone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Looking back on the last few years, they don\u2019t see tragedy but transformation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOur faith is stronger than ever,\u201d Corey said. \u201cYou don\u2019t see the end when you\u2019re in it. But when you get through it, you realize it was worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Their message to others facing trials?<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cJust keep going,\u201d Corey said. \u201cThe most meaningful things in life are never easy. But if you hold on and stay persistent, you\u2019ll make it through. We\u2019re living proof.\u201d GN<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" WHEN LIFE threw everything it had at Corey and Misty Shadd \u2013 job loss, medical emergencies, financial hurdles, and a devastating car accident \u00ad \u2014 they refused to let it derail their dreams. Instead, they built something beautiful out of the rubble: The Village Play Place, a community-centered business in Lebanon. \u201cOur journey\u2019s really been […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":39,"featured_media":22838,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22835","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/lebanon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2025\/08\/Story-1-photo1-1024x683.jpg\")