Name
Elise Rosati

Brain Tumor Type
Craniopharyngioma

Date of Diagnosis
03/29/2008

Participant Group
Brain Tumor Survivor / 21 and over

Category
Creative Writing

Artist Statement (include type of art, techniques & materials used, what it means to you)
It was after reading her grandfather’s poems as a child that Elise found an interest in writing poetry. Writing poetry continues to be an outlet for her after her surgery to voice her struggles with life after brain injury.

“Growing up, my life revolved around playing sports, so when my brain surgeon told me I could no longer play on a sports team, my life was shattered. I struggled to find new hobbies and interests to fill my time. I turned to activities such as scrapbooking, photography, and crafts, as well as writing poetry. Since then, whenever I’m struggling with the side effects of my tumors and stroke, I write because it is easier for me, putting a pen to paper to express my feelings, rather than to voice them myself.”


Artist Bio: Tell Us Your Story
Elise Rosati is a 28-year-old pediatric brain tumor and pediatric stroke survivor. Elise has her Master’s degree in Therapeutic Recreation from Temple University and her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from The College of New Jersey. She lives in Marlton, New Jersey, with her parents, her dog Dixie, and her cat Ivy. She loves writing poetry and short stories, as well as reading. She enjoys photography and scrapbooking. She also enjoys spending time with her family, friends, and her pets.

Elise was diagnosed with a Craniopharyngioma at the age of 11 in April of 2008, and during the surgery to remove it, she had a stroke affecting her left side. She faces challenges from side effects, like extreme fatigue, left-sided weakness, blindness in her right eye, a left-sided field cut that takes up more than 50% of the vision in her left eye, and panhypopituitarism, just to name a few.

Elise aspires to become a child life specialist and is currently working on pursuing this goal. Elise just published her first poetry book, Out of the Ordinary: A Journey Into Raw Faith, a book of poems for Survivors.