SAN ANTONIO – The latest Pickup Lines segment features Blessed Angels Senior Center CEO Marion Thomas.
The Brackenridge High School alum overcame setbacks early in life, losing her father at age 14.
“I had to grow up really fast,” Thomas said.
Growing up poor also meant missed opportunities.
Thomas says she couldn’t afford extracurricular activities, uniforms, or sports — things many kids take for granted.
“I think I’m making up right now for everything that I didn’t get to do when I was young,” she said.
Despite her nonstop energy today, Thomas has lived with severe pain for more than two decades. A herniated disc in her neck eventually became debilitating.
What doctors believed would be a four-week recovery turned into months — then years. In 2002, she was told she might never work again.
“That was my life,” she said. “I loved to work.”
At her lowest point, Thomas was taking 14 different medications and battling deep depression. The pain was relentless — and so were the dark thoughts that followed.
“For a few moments, I gave up on life,” she said. “I felt like God didn’t bring me here to live like that.”
Confined to her bedroom, she asked her husband to line the walls with flowers — something she loved — believing those flowers would be all she saw for the rest of her days.
Everything changed when her church pastor encouraged her to get out of bed and try something small: volunteering at a food pantry.
That step sparked a transformation. Helping others gave Thomas a renewed sense of purpose — and eventually led her to open Blessed Angels Senior Center.
Today, the center distributes thousands of meals, along with toys and essential items for families during the holidays. And remarkably, Thomas says she no longer takes any medication.
“When I went to work for my church, guess how much medication I’m on today?” she asked. “Zero.”
Her prescription now is simple: faith, service, and staying busy.
“Depression is real,” Thomas said. “But you get out there and you try. Never, ever give up.”
As long as the community continues to support Blessed Angels, Marion Thomas says she’ll keep giving — one senior at a time.
Watch the full Pickup Lines with Marion Thomas in the video player above.
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Ernie Zuniga started Pickup Lines, a digital talk show, straight from his vehicle. The segments feature a diverse range of guests, including executives, small business owners, and everyday individuals, as they share personal journeys, news, and stories.