Highland Falls resident shares her journey of simply surviving
“She plans on making the most of every single minute she is given and wants to make a difference to that one person who may have given up hope because of their own brain injury.”
That’s from the author introduction of Highland Falls’ Lisa Sibley in the book Transforming Pain Into Purpose: Triumphant Tales of EmpowHERment, a 2023 AMA Publishing book which features the stories of 16 women from across the country who have “not only learned to navigate the deep waters of pain, but were also willing to turn it into medicine for those who want to walk with them”.
Sibley’s story is Chapter 14, and she’d love it if you’d read it.
Sitting in her backyard on a beautiful September morning in Sunday, Sibley has spent the weekend doing all of her ‘regular’ activities.
She got a workout in with private trainer Anthony Esposito, who she also calls her therapist and notes that the time she spends with him is the most important half hour of her week.
She’s been to church; Fort Montgomery’s Hudson Highlands United Methodist.
She’s getting ready to go to the Farmers Market where she’ll purchase some of the flavorful, yet occasionally unusual, foods that she’ll eat in the week ahead.
She’s fed her fish — “I call them koi, but except for one, they’re goldfish. Don’t tell them,” she laughs.
And, she’s getting ready for the week ahead with a houseful of small children … cherubs, she calls them .. who she provides daycare for.
It’s hard to believe, but in 2012, Sibley almost died.
For some reason, I didn’t die.
She went into the hospital on a March day that year for a surgery to fix a Chiari malformation in her brain. It was a procedure that should have kept her in the hospital for less than a week, but became more than three months in intensive care, followed by a long recovery at a rehabilitation hospital. She had developed bacterial meningitis and hydrocephalus.
Sibley tells the whole story in the book, a 3000 word essay straight from her heart. It’s the second paperback edition of this particular title, and is available on Amazon for $4.99 or as a 99¢ Kindle download.
The stories in it are strikingly different from Sibley’s, but similar too.
I had been given a second chance at life, and I didn’t want to waste a moment.
Not someone who seeks out attention to herself, Sibley wanted to talk about not only her part of this book, but she wanted to do an interview to publicize two different, local, important things.
She is the founder of Second Chances, a support group that is a place for people with brain injuries to “come together and talk in comfort with people who understand”.
The group has been meeting for nearly a year now, with the help of The Center of Highland Falls as it’s first home; the Highland Falls Intermediate School, as arranged by Recreation Director Aaron Falk; and now at the Hudson Highland United Methodist Church’s Mission Center on Main St. They meet on the second and fourth Thursday of each month from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Attendance ranges from young adults to senior citizens; from a few people to a dozen; and the format is simple.
“We just chat about anything and everything,” Sibley said, sitting by that ‘Koi Pond’ in her yard, aka her “happy place”.
Some of those who attend have had traumatic brain injuries, some have had strokes, some simply have memory issues. While different, their commonality is that they have found a safe place to talk with others going through similar challenges in their lives.
Second Chances is open to anyone who wants to attend, and Sibley says she’s happy to talk to people about the group before they come, if they’d like.
“Email me at secondchances427@gmail.com or call me at 845-235-0986,” she said. “Or just come to a meeting.”
I know that by working to be the best me, I will be able to help them and be there for support.
If you do attend a meeting, expect to hear about Sibley’s next big idea — a Saturday, Nov. 4 ‘Happy Brain Day’ event, also to be held at the UMC’s Mission Center.
“The room is going to be filled with things that make your brain happy,” she said. “I’ve reached out to so many people and almost all of them are helping me.”
She’s had donations to purchase things like bicycle helmets to give away — “if I can help prevent somebody’s traumatic brain injury by buying them a helmet, I want to do so,” she said — will have resources from groups and agencies who can help those struggling with brain injuries, hands-on activities –”I’d really love to have a drum circle,” she said.
It will take place from 12-4 p.m. and is absolutely not just for those who have brain issues, but is for everyone. And, no pre-planning is needed — just show up, she says.
My daily goal is making a difference, and making someone smile.
If you are a friend of Sibley’s on social media, you know that she is living her days as best she can.
She and the children she cares for spend time doing good deeds, enjoying music, experiencing nature, and living each moment in good company.
As I sit back and watch the beautiful cherubs that I am lucky to watch, I realize just how fortunate I am to deal with their chaos every day, chaos I enjoy more than you can imagine.
Not a reader? Recently, Sibley took some time to talk about her mission with Highland Falls native Pat Mahan on his podcast, ‘The Like Attracts Like Podcast’.
It’s designed for people to find higher conscious perspective on life events, access inner guidance, and embody changes to live life from a place of inner purpose in all areas of life. Cue Lisa Sibley.
You can find the podcast on all major applications — iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Music etc — and Sibley’s episode is Number 834, Season 2.
