by Marlena Fiol | Feb 19, 2020
Here’s a tiny glimpse into my life in 1984: I have moved to Stamford CT with my two children, aged 8 and 12, and a just-married-to second husband. I finished my PhD coursework at the University of Illinois but have not yet begun…
by Marlena Fiol | Feb 14, 2020
Imagine you’re in your early 30s, you’re in a wheelchair, hallucinating, barely able to follow the doctor’s speech. It’s Friday. And he says,” You’re not going to make it until Monday.”…
by Marlena Fiol | Feb 7, 2020
Here I Am (with my Big Brother) Waving Goodbye Dr. Seuss and Winnie-the-Pooh share the same philosophy on goodbyes, it seems: “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.” – Dr. Seuss. I believe it’s only those who have suffered unthinkable losses, and have…
by Marlena Fiol | Jan 31, 2020
In 1984, Rita and her husband Brad welcomed a healthy baby boy named Brandon into their family. Only five years later, Brandon began a 20-year battle with brain cancer. They watched as their son became increasingly mentally and physically handicapped….
by Marlena Fiol | Jan 24, 2020
Linda Atwell and her strong-willed daughter, Lindsey, a high functioning young adult with intellectual disabilities, always had a complicated relationship. But when Lindsey graduated from high school at nineteen, she got a job at a Goodwill and she moved into a cottage…
by Marlena Fiol | Jan 17, 2020
Susie with her family Susie Rinehart is an award-winning author, champion ultra-runner, life coach, activist and mother of two young children. On June 30, 2016, she was diagnosed with a rare, aggressive tumor on her brainstem. Her doctor told her, “Without surgery, you…