Before her stroke, Susan’s life was filled with music, numbers, and the laughter of children learning. With degrees in both music and mathematical sciences, she had a clear vision for her future—music was her passion, and she dreamed of one day becoming a professor of music.

Born and raised in Newfoundland, Susan moved to Calgary to pursue her education, deliberately choosing mentors who would challenge and inspire her. With two undergraduate degrees from Mount Alison University in Sackville New Brunswick – an undergraduate degree in music focused on horn performance and an undergraduate degree in education – she also obtained a Master of Music from the university of Calgary and coursework leading to a doctor of education.

One of the most defining chapters of her early career took her overseas to England, where she completed a practicum teaching nine Grade 4 students with diverse disabilities. It was in that small, dynamic classroom that Susan discovered her love for inclusive education. “It changed my life, forever!”, she says. At the same time, she found herself swept up in the joy of choir—an unexpected but cherished part of the experience, encouraged by her Headmaster’s own enthusiasm for choral music and British friends who played brass instruments.

Two years ago, just before her 51st birthday, Susan’s life took an abrupt and unexpected turn—she suffered a stroke. Living alone, Susan had the stroke on a Sunday but couldn’t access help until the next afternoon.

Susan spent just over a month in the Foothills Hospital stroke unit, followed by four months on unit 58 which provides neuro rehabilitation focused on people with complex needs following stroke, brain injury, spinal cord injury, or neurological injuries or illnesses. Then came nearly nine months at the Halvar Jonson Centre for Brain Injury in Ponoka. Throughout it all, she kept her eyes on a single goal: to return home. Currently she resides in supportive living in Calgary and has been attending ARBI programs for her recovery since August 2024.

What carried her through was, in her words, “really good friends”—the kind who check in when something feels off, and who walk alongside you even when the road is long. She also credits the small, daily goals she sets for herself. “As long as I continue to do something each day, it gets better,” she says.

Her recovery journey has been filled with hard-won milestones, and Susan keeps herself grounded by reflecting on how far she’s come. “When I was in a wheelchair… and my speech was really, really horrible!” she remembers with a smile. There’s a quiet strength in her words—an acknowledgement of both the struggle and the progress.

Susan’s curiosity continues to be one of her guiding lights. Years ago, she walked the Camino in Spain on her own. “Alone, but never lonely,” she says. That spirit of openness and exploration still defines her journey today.

At ARBI, Susan is a beloved part of the music therapy program, where her beautiful singing voice fills the room. Recently, she joined a choir, an experience she says is “teaching old dogs, new tricks”, feeding her desire to remain curious and learning. She inspires those around her not only with her talent, but with her steadfast belief that when one door closes, another opens.