(CNN) Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren drew upon her upbringing in a poignant look into her background Monday, detailing her parents' struggle and calling them similar to the problems faced by millions of Americans.

During a CNN town hall in Jackson, Mississippi, Warren said her father had a serious heart attack and was unable to get back to work, so her 50-year-old mother was forced to take on a minimum wage job to support the family.

Things were tough, and they lost the family station wagon. Warren recalled her mother saying, "We will not lose this house."

"She was 50 years old. She had never worked outside the home. She was truly terrified," she said.

The story is one that will be familiar to voters who have seen Warren on the campaign trail, where she frequently uses it to connect her economic message with a more visceral reminder of how she views the stakes of the coming election.

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