What I Didn't Know
When I met the man who would become my husband, he told me right away that he had Parkinson’s disease.
That didn’t frighten me.
What I didn’t yet understand was what it would take to love someone through it.
For almost ten years, I cared for my husband as Parkinson’s slowly changed our life together.
And during those years, I discovered something that shocked me. There were resources for him everywhere.
But for the caregiver?
That didn’t frighten me.
What I didn’t yet understand was what it would take to love someone through it.
For almost ten years, I cared for my husband as Parkinson’s slowly changed our life together.
And during those years, I discovered something that shocked me. There were resources for him everywhere.
But for the caregiver?
Almost nothing.
I will never forget the one and only provider who stopped, looked directly at me, and said:
“You are doing a good job.”
I still remember the tears that filled my eyes. Because after years of caregiving, simply being seen mattered that much.
After my husband’s gentle and peaceful death, I couldn’t stop thinking about everything I had learned.
So I started writing.
Because I had a story to tell.
And because I knew there were other caregivers lying awake at night, feeling exactly as I once did.
I will never forget the one and only provider who stopped, looked directly at me, and said:
“You are doing a good job.”
I still remember the tears that filled my eyes. Because after years of caregiving, simply being seen mattered that much.
After my husband’s gentle and peaceful death, I couldn’t stop thinking about everything I had learned.
So I started writing.
Because I had a story to tell.
And because I knew there were other caregivers lying awake at night, feeling exactly as I once did.
Why I do this Work
If I wake up in the middle of the night, my first thought is often for the caregivers who are awake too.
The ones listening for movement down the hall.
The ones managing medications, exhaustion, fear, and decisions while the rest of the world sleeps.
Caregivers do not need more information.
We need someone who understands.
Someone who knows what we're sacrificing.
Someone who can see what we are carrying.
Someone who will say, “You are doing a great job.”
That is why this work exists. I'm truly grateful you've found your way here.
Experience Rooted in Both Research and Real Life
Before Parkinson’s caregiving became personal, my professional work focused on trauma, communication, emotional resilience, and human development.
But caregiving taught me lessons no classroom ever could.
Today, my work is shaped by both lived experience and decades of professional training:
But caregiving taught me lessons no classroom ever could.
Today, my work is shaped by both lived experience and decades of professional training:
- Ph.D. in Human Development from Cornell University
- Former professor in Psychology and Counseling
- National trainer and trauma specialist
- Author of Love, Dignity, and Parkinson’s
- Founder of the Dear Caregiver community
- Support and guidance for thousands of Parkinson’s caregivers
A Little About Me
I tend to keep my personal life personal.
But I’ll tell you this much.
I live in a tall wooden house with a front porch built by a ship’s carpenter in the 1860s — the house that eventually gave this work its name.
I have two adult daughters and two grandchildren who help keep me connected to the world beyond caregiving.
And I love sitting in rooms with caregivers who finally feel safe enough to tell the truth about how hard this can be.
I never take that trust lightly.
You Don't Have to Carry This Alone
There is support here for you
There is support here for you
If you are exhausted, overwhelmed, or trying to hold everything together while slowly losing parts of yourself in the process — you are not alone.
And you were never meant to carry all of this by yourself.