Turn into the Storm: A Single Mother’s Fight Against Chronic Illness, Unconditional Love, and Self-Reinvention
Turn into the Storm is about the resilience of a single mother with a chronic illness, the rediscovery of unconditional love through motherhood and the reinvention of a woman who discovers her power within. When I discovered that my kidneys had finally failed after 26 years of surviving lupus, I thought I would never see my son again. We had only been together for 1 year.
This beautiful baby boy came into my life, and I was happy for the first time in a very long time. Then, a cruel twist of fate and I no longer had functioning kidneys. Dialysis, for me, meant I wouldn’t see my son Louis again. I was terrified that I would die or that they would take him away from me. I needed Louis to know he was loved; I needed him to remember me. So, I wrote him letters, every day. Those letters fueled my determination to survive – to fight for us.
Leaving a Legacy: A Journey of Illness, Healing, and Writing for My Son
For years I toyed with the idea of writing a book. I had requested my medical records from my doctors going back 20 years. I combed through them for months, trying to understand what had happened to me. Some of it brought back terrible memories and reliving them was difficult but therapeutic. I had gone through so much that I wanted to leave something behind for my son. I had lost the original letters I wrote many years ago, and now Louis had nothing to look back on. My situation was much different by the time I decided to write the book. I was healthier, my lupus was stable again and I was on dialysis. I had accepted my fate. Now I wanted to leave a legacy. Something my son could be proud of.
Overcoming Doubt: From Winning a Speech Competition to Publishing My Story
The mind is a funny thing. One minute you could be absolutely certain of something then doubt sets in and you are paralyzed. I kept asking myself, would anyone really want to read about me? Then in March 2023 I won the International Women’s Day speaker competition and got the opportunity to tell my story to 8000 of my colleagues. To that point I had told no one about my illness. My family was aware, of course, but my friends and coworkers had no idea what I was going through. The response to my speech was overwhelming. I had colleagues say they cried or that they needed to hear my message. Their responses prompted me to finish the book which was launched in June.
Finding Light in Darkness: Inspiring Resilience Beyond Illness and Identity
I hope my book will have meaning for the 5 million people worldwide with lupus and the 850 million with kidney disease, but my book transcends both illnesses. It transcends motherhood, race or gender. Everyone can see themselves in my stories. It is in our darkest hours that we reveal our light. In my darkest hours I found my light – my power. My book is not unique, we all have struggles. But my struggles never defined me, they motivated me. They motivated me to be a better mother and a better person. I hope that Turn into the Storm will motivate its readers to embrace their struggles and never let their struggles define them.
Driven to Inspire: Embracing Passion and Transformation Through Writing
The book is currently available on Amazon and Lulu. I’ll be publishing it on the Barnes and Noble e-store next. I would love to see Turn into the Storm in a few brick-and-mortar stores. I believe that’s where the primary audience of this book will be – browsing through the shelves of a bookstore, looking for inspiration or hope. Like every author, I want to reach as many readers as possible but if I can give hope to at least one person, through my journey, I would have accomplished my goal.
Since my speech I have been driven to do more. I joined the Board of Directors of Lupus Canada. I’ve written articles for Don’t Hide It Flaunt It, and the Renal Support Network. I write monthly blog posts for Lupus Canada and my own LinkedIn newsletter. I’ve found a new passion in writing. I love to create stories while I sit on the couch in the late evenings. With Pearl, my 5-pound Yorkie, curled up at my feet and Bijou, her older brother, on the floor close by, I write. I write about everything now. I’ve come so far. From the woman who was afraid to let the world know she was ill, to a mother who has embraced her power within. There is no turning back. The Alchemist put me through the fire, and I have been transformed into gold.
I can be reached on LinkedIn, at my website www.parentingonedayatatime.com, and on Facebook at Parenting one day at a time | Facebook. You can also email me at [email protected].
You can check out my book, which is available on AMAZON.
