Leanore Pharr:  

Came out of an abusive family, came out of the closet. On the way, my initial interests at Loyola University of New Orleans in Mathematics, Communications and Psychology gave way to Biomedical Engineering, Robotics and Ergonomics in a small community college in Poplarville, MS. While I was still trying to pass for straight and prevent my eternal damnation (and exile from all my friends, loved ones and church) I married my best friend in my early 20's and changed my name to Leanore Pharr. We lived briefly in Slidell and a little longer in Metairie and River Ridge. Lost him in a divorce that resulted from his quadruple bypass complications. My passion for my Faith was challenged at the failure of many churches to protect children from predators. Moved to Atlanta, GA and spent a decade healing the wounds of my childhood and the toxic, legalistic elements of the religion in which I was raised. No longer my father's daughter or the trauma of my lost innocence, no longer the wife of my ex-husband, I finally began to be me and as my paradigm shifted, I began to emerge from a chrysalis of false limitations. I took back my birthright. I recovered my indigenous roots. I kept the meaning of my given name but re-transliterated it from Latvian/Russian to English becoming Illyeanna. I chose a new surname for spiritual reasons and became Illyeanna Wolfstorm. At 31, I was diagnosed with a fatal lung disease. I'd never smoked, I didn't hang out with smokers and I was going to die from air pollution I'd breathed in while hiking in Louisiana and Georgia. I moved to the mountains of North Carolina to die and make my peace with my unfinished business and under-developed potential. Unexpectedly found a cure where none existed: chiropractic, oriental herbs and acupuncture gave me a miraculous second chance to live. I changed academic courses to Women's Spiritual Psychology and Traditional Chinese Medicine. I moved to the Pacific Northwest with three goals: complete the restoration of my health, finish my education and have a baby. As a single lesbian, I built a personal village to help me raise my future child. We welcomed my daughter into this world and our hearts in September of 2005. A textbook perfect pregnancy led to an unexpectedly traumatic birth and an unwanted C-section that almost killed me 3 days after she was born. It's taken a few years, but the same disciplines that helped me survive and heal from the lung disease aided me in finding answers not readily appare...Expand for more