A Life Unfolding
Shaped by loss and the patient practice of recovery, welcome to life reclaimed, one moment at a time.
Early Work
Writing has always been my way of listening deeply to the quiet places where grief and resilience meet. After earning a master’s degree in Pastoral Studies from Loyola University Chicago, I spent years writing for family magazines and facilitating support groups for young people navigating loss, divorce, and family hardships.
My life in pieces
scat
ter
ed
among shards of glass
twisted metal
piece
s
Life Interrupted
Everything changed in January 2003, when an auto accident left me in a two-week coma with a traumatic brain injury. I emerged having lost language and memory, facing the overwhelming task of relearning daily life and navigating an entirely altered emotional landscape.
Rebuilding in Recovery
Rebuilding my sense of self was a long, uneven journey. I had to learn to navigate fatigue, sensory overload, and the quiet grief of realizing the life I once knew was gone. Even now, years later, recovery remains a daily practice—a steady commitment to healing one moment at a time.
“I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.”
—Michelangelo
Louise reads her poem, "Blessings"
Returning to the Page
When I was finally able to write again, poetry became my lifeline. Because the left side of my brain—the part responsible for planning and organization—was injured, prose felt entirely out of reach. Poetry, with its spaciousness and intuition, allowed me to speak from the part of my spirit that remained whole. It helped me process grief, rebuild my identity, and find meaning in the smallest moments.
Healing Through Writing
Out of this journey grew my collection, A Life Interrupted: Living with Brain Injury (Pearlsong Press), a transformative body of poetry documenting my recovery and triumphant return to my writing career. Today, my lifelong practice of capturing the sacred moments in everyday experiences holds an even deeper meaning.
This path has also called me to become a passionate advocate for the many who face the daily physical, emotional, and spiritual challenges of living with a disability—using my pages to connect deeply with readers navigating their own paths through loss, resilience, and renewal.
