Lisa Brown

Hey y’all! I’m Lisa! I could not be more excited to receive this invitation. I’m 43 years old, a mom to three adult children, and one amazingly little girl that is my first grandchild, born last June. The Birdie life is amazing! The path that led me to this exact moment is one I will forever be grateful for. After suffering through an ovarian cancer diagnosis, in 2020, I had to revisit suffering in 2023. I was diagnosed with one extremely rare genetic mutation that causes the OC. Due to its rarity and function, it flew y Dee the radar at my genetic testing in 2020. In the last 20 months I lost everything in my life but gained an enormous amount as well. I don’t know if it’s embarrassing for them to be around me because my tumors are visible, or if it’s a grieving process, but my entire family decided to stop communicating and visiting me. I understood. As badly as it hurt. It was all of them. My three children, mom, dad, and my fiancé. All in the same week, leaving me homeless and terrified. After 20 months isolating myself (I thought I was saving people from being near me), my mental health was rocked to the core. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t almost take me. That was hardest thing I’ve ever done, and at a time when I needed a support system most. I had nobody. Not even friends stuck around.
Going through that severity of mental health breaking, I made a promise to myself. I was going to do whatever I could, no matter what, so that others wouldn’t have to feel alone. That someone out there still cares and still shows kindness. Nobody should ever feel that crushing weight of abandonment, unworthiness, helplessness, hurt, loss, and rejection. The trauma from two horrible diagnosis was plenty.
I fought tooth and nail, diligently, day and night. Advocating for myself and others. In that time, I created a community rock garden of hope. It hood hand painted rocks done by me with uplifting phrases or anything that can bring joy or a smile. I invite the community to come get one, anytime free of charge, with the stipulation that you pick one that brings you a sense of peace that day. Seeing the words”YOU MATTER” from a stranger, holds enough power to ripple the countryside. This was a challenge for me because of my rare disease I show symptoms of ALS, front temporal dementia and Parkinson’s. That struggle was and is worth it.
I began to paint and draw in personal journals branching off to personal ones for people. Long story short, I also written and published 4 part series of small children’s books emphasis on kindness and compassion. The inspiration was my three and my granddaughter. I also started a blog, a community online for the same idea as the rock garden. I then made a mobile app so ensure the inclusion of everyone, and the greatest part, being awarded a proclamation by the governor of KY recognizing the disease and rarity I have. Even asked to construct an official ribbon. Kentucky made history by being the first state nationally to ever recognize it. Now people will have the chance at a better outcome than I did because of lack of resources and information. They will now know they are eligible for pre-chemotherapy to slow or even stop tumor formation. How amazing is that?!?! I lost everything I loved because of this disease and almost myself, so the feeling knowing others will have a chance to stop it before it gets aggressive, makes my heart whole again. The desire to help others is what became my driving force to come back to school.