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I met my best friend Alex and her older sister Libby my freshman year of high school in Port Orange, Florida. We swam on our High School's team as well as being lifeguards on the beach together. Libby was a senior and captain of our swim team as well as a top guard for Volusia County Beach Patrol. Always being someone to look up to Libby made sure the team was more than just practice and swim meets. She would organize time outside of practice for the whole team to get together and hang out, not just upper classmen or really fast kids. She made the team feel like a family. As a lifeguard for Volusia County Beaches she was a vital part in teaching almost all the brand new guards in the summer. Before a newly trained guard is allowed to be on tower alone they are required to sit with a different experienced guard at least 4 full days. Libby had new guards with her almost every day not only because she was an exceptional life guard but because of her capacity to teach others.

Libby earned her Master’s degree in literature at Tulane University in 2006. She joined Teach for America and started devoting her time and energy to her classroom, her students, and supporting other teachers.  In 2015, Libby was 30 and teaching reading in New Orleans as well as literacy intervention for students multiple grade levels behind. She had a fever for a few days and ended up in the ICU for sudden unexplained seizures, and was eventually diagnosed with encephalitis.

Libby spent over a month in the hospital that summer, but her battle with her brain continued long after leaving the hospital. She learned how to walk and talk and read again but was unable to work, drive, swim, or live alone for safety reasons. Encephalitis left her with epilepsy, and she had to adjust to life with seizures at any moment, horrible medication side-effects, and constant memory loss.  Libby’s seizures were medication resistant, frequent, and caused multiple head and facial injuries.

However, in true Libby fashion, her perseverance prevailed and she refused to let her disease stop her from doing what she was passionate about.  She spent time not only on her own recovery but on supporting other people. She volunteered at a shelter and tutored at an adult literacy center to teach non-reading adults how to read.   

In honor of Libby and everything she taught me about the importance of education, teamwork, perseverance, confidence and empowering others, I chose to help raise donations for the Encephalitis Society, which tries to raise awareness about encephalitis.  Many people do not even know what it is or how it affects the person living with it.  Anyone can get encephalitis and mortality rates are high. Survivors can be left with epilepsy, cognitive difficulties, problems with memory and personality. I’m hopeful that bringing attention to encephalitis may help with researching a cure.  

Any amount donated big or small can help make a difference! Thanks for visiting my page!