ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- At Rochester Regional Health's St. Mary's chapel, the sound of music wafted through the air Friday. Candles were lit as part of a memorial service for the homeless.

Not too long ago, Milagros Bursey, formerly of Chicago, was almost one of those people.  

After dealing with a number of medical issues,Bursey eventually found herself homeless and was recommended to Hope House, a shelter through Rochester Regional Health. It was there that she met Dr. Chrystal Jenkins.

"I was experiencing numbness on the right side of my body, which was telling me that I was having a stroke. The bishop took me over to St. Mary's and from there I was transferred to Strong Memorial Hospital, where my journey began," said Bursey, now a homeless advocate.

"At that time, I was scared. I didn't know what was going to happen to me, I didn't know where I was going. In meeting Dr. Jenkins, the one thing that eased my fears was the fact that Dr. Jenkins would listen."

Thanks to her help, Milagros was able to get back on her feet. With help from Health Reach, she even managed to get her GED. To Dr. Jenkins, it was all worth it.

"She also doesn't give herself enough credit in her story, in that even though there were times that she wanted to give up, she never did, and it was a hard road to recover from all the health issues that she had, and she is still fighting," said Dr. Jenkins, the lead physician for Health Reach for the Homeless.

"Oh gosh, she teaches me things every day, about how to love, be joyful, even when times are tough," said Dr. Jenkins. 

Milagros now spends her time giving back, volunteering for Health Reach, a program she says saved her life.