About the Author

About the Author

Kate was born in Milwaukee, WI; the youngest of five children.  From the time of kindergarten she always wanted to be two things: a nurse and a mother.  From early grade school on, Kate always had an interest in telling stories and creative writing.  She attended St. Robert Grade school and Divine Savior Holy Angels High School before attending Marquette University's College of Nursing.

Marquette University has been a  constant backdrop in her family life. It is the place where her parents met  and where her father worked through three Marquette University presidents.  Her mother continues to work in Alumni Relations.  Kate and her four siblings all attended Marquette University during the Warrior years. Kate followed in her parents' footsteps in meeting her husband, Brian.

Kate has worked in a number of areas of nursing including pediatrics, public health, home healthcare,  neonatal intensive care nursing, perinatal education, research and most currently as a prenatal care coordinator/nurse case manager for high risk mothers of Milwaukee County.  Kate has also been certified as a Childbirth Educator and as a Doula.

As much as Kate was educated through her Bachelor's Degree and several hospital systems in Milwaukee and Indiana while Brian finished his doctorate, she has gained a great deal of knowledge from being mother to her four children, but especially Mo and the journey that began in June of 1995.

Journaling was always a helpful tool for Kate to document as well as reflect on life.  Kate had contemplated many years ago writing a book and had even started one about childbirth and parenting.  After Mo's first open heart surgery and recovery, a dear friend encouraged Kate to focus on the story at hand.  After attending a writing class at the RedBird Studio and being invited into a writing roundtable, Kate spent three years writing, rewriting, adding, deleting, crafting really, the story that lay before you.  With many friends, family and writing companions cheering her on, "Mo" came to fruition.

The story is written from a threefold perspective: as a medical mystery, a dual perspective of nurse and mother dealing with chronic and critical illness of her child while caring for her other three children and husband, and the impact of faith.

Kate's interest in writing rivals her love of photography.  She is an avid Marquette Univeristy basketball fan, Green Bay Packer and Brewers fan.

She lives at home with her husband, Brian and four children Charlie, Mo, Tim and Brigid while working as a nurse and pursuing her passion for writing and photography.