Heather Crow Nelson
It is not particularly typical to begin a story with a struggle — especially when it’s someone such as Heather who, before her struggle, achieved so much within our community. However, this is key to many of her more grand developments and it is why one can easily begin her story with December of just last year, when she was diagnosed with osteogenesis imperfecta after a lengthy battle with back problems, including herniated and ruptured discs, compression fractures, and degenerative disc disease. She turned to art-journaling and scrapbooking as a way to focus on the blessings in her life as opposed to the diagnosis. Offhand comments by her husband and fellow members of the charity group she acts as an event rep to, The IndiExhibit, led to the creation of Happy HeARTists.
Their goal is to give scrapbook and art journal kits to patients and their families in the hopes that they’ll be able to focus on the blessings of today instead of the uncertainty of tomorrow. Local recipients have included Miller Children’s Hospital and the Long Beach Ronald McDonald House, where Heather has been hosting scrapbook workshops for the house guests. Happy HeARTists was also a part of the recent Walk For Kids, benefitting the Long Beach Ronald McDonald House. She coordinated VIP bags from The IndiExhibit, and on the day of the event, Heather hosted a craft table for participants.
The proud mother of three and happily married to her self-proclaimed best friend Ryan (whom she met while they were students at Long Beach City College), Heather published her first book, My Work Of Heart, a charity memoir. For years she has been told she should write about the charity events she is involved with, but it wasn’t until that life changing year and her diagnosis that she actually did it. “Writing this book was definitely an emotional labor of love, but it was absolutely worth it.”