More About Laurie

In 2016, Laurie changed her career focus to learn everything she could about addiction, mental health and how to help her boys.  She would go on to become:   

• NYS CARC (Certified Addiction Recovery Coach) with primary focus on families in recovery. 
• Passionate advocate for everyone to have access to appropriate medical care to live a healthy life.
• Professional trainer of:

1. CCAR CART's Recovery Coach Academy
2. Ethical Considerations for Recovery Coaches
3. Spirituality for Recovery Coaches
4. Custom curriculum developed for SAMHSA training and webinars.

With her help and persistence, both boys were able to get into treatment and work on turning their life around.  They both give her a lot of credit for their success.Laurie turned her efforts to helping other families help their children and she familiarized herself with a method of recovery titled "Harm Reduction" which focused on keeping people alive, meeting them where they are at and moving away from an "abstinence only" method of recovery.  She helped start a local advocacy group with 5 other area moms.  The organization was eventually formed as a 501(c)3 called Columbia County Pathways To Recovery.  She started a support group for families and she would spend many hours talking to moms, dads, and family members about how addiction and mental illness could impact their families.  When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, Laurie was worried it would be the end of her group since meeting in-person was not recommended.  Laurie turned that to a positive.  She took to the internet to hold her weekly family meeting via web conferencing software.  Soon, people from around the country and the WORLD were joining her weekly support group.  Something that would have never been possible without pandemic restrictions.

People are alive today because of Laurie's efforts, knowledge and persistence in making sure people received help.  Eventually, Laurie would go on to co-found a training and consulting company called Our Wellness Collective with her longtime friend and colleague Cortney Lovell.  Together, they were creating and launching a cutting edge online training program to train people all over the world on assisting family, friends, and loved ones battling substance use disorder.  Her message was that everyone DESERVED the opportunity to find recovery and improve their life; on their terms and at the level they wanted to participate at.  They brought frustration to some family's who sometimes believed there was a "quick fix.".  Laurie's message to those people was simple; "...remember people are battling things you may never understand or experience - Love them anyway."

Tragically, Laurie passed away on November 22, 2021 at the age of 58.  On Sunday, November 21, 2021 Laurie suffered a catastrophic brain aneurysm at home.  She was rushed to the nearest Level 1 Trauma Center.  By the end of the day,, her family would learn there was no brain activity.  Laurie was put on life support and was declared clinically brain dead on Monday, November 22, 2021.  
Laurie had always stressed to her family, her desire to be an organ donor if ever necessary.  Carl and Laurie's family immediately began the process to have Laurie considered for organ donation.  They met at the hospital with the Center For Organ Donation and Transplant and started the process.  Laurie matched several people waiting for life-saving organ transplants. Her heart went to a woman in the Northeast.  Her left kidney went to someone as well as her right kidney.  Her cornea's provided the gift of site to someone.  Several individuals received tissue transplants.  Not only had Laurie signed up to become an organ donor, she had checked every single box on the signup form for any needed donation that would help someone.  In her death, Laurie did the same as she did in her life....  helped as many people as she could.  Our family misses Laurie incredibly.  But we are thankful for everything Laurie did to help others.  In life and in death.  We vow to carry on her legacy for the rest of our lives.