Isabella Pirola

I am currently a full-time student at Stony Brook University studying Health Sciences. I intend on going to graduate school to earn my PhD in Occupational Therapy.

My interest in the healthcare field was driven by being introduced to illness at an early age. My father suffered a brain stem stroke during a surgery to treat trigeminal neuralgia—a condition that his doctor misdiagnosed for recurrent brain stem tumors. His medical plight has greatly impacted my life, and I aim to help those like my father one day. I am very passionate about brain injury and neurorecovery.

My father passed away March 9, 2015. In his honor, I wrote ˆSteadfast,ˆ a book that is metaphorically written for children and adolescents to process loss. It simplistically describes love, suffering, and death while providing symbolism through an oak tree, a storm, and a family of robins. Grief is a difficult journey; I want to share my experiences so that I can help those who are going through it.