Susan Frances Dunham, born in Cleveland, the first of two “later in life,” and unexpected children, spent her pre-school years living in an apartment above her father’s furniture store on Lorain Avenue. “Joe Ralph Furniture” was a profitable but mostly a family operation, with her mother the bookkeeper and older siblings helping with manual labor. Susie spent all of her early summers in a cement block cottage on the shores of Lake Erie. Eventually, her father was hired as a manufacturer’s rep in the furniture industry and her family moved to Port Clinton, Ohio, a small town on the shores of Lake Erie.
Susie graduated from Port Clinton High School in 1972, and later graduated from Sandusky School of Practical Nursing in 1976. She worked as a nurse for three years in a hospital environment, five years in a nursing home setting and two years as a private duty nurse.
In 1982, she married Markus Dunham, a math teacher, and in 1984, their only child Michael was born. After ten years in nursing, Susie spent another decade as a medical sales-rep. She now works as a manufacturer’s rep in the furniture industry, following in the footsteps of her family.
Hi Susie,
I just discovered your book and look forward to reading it. Congratulations!
When my daughter had her first psychotic break 11 years ago, I tried in vain to find any parental memoirs that related to our situation. It’s so important that we tell our stories, our “lived experience,” in the hope that the dire situations we confronted can be improved.
Susan Inman
author – After Her Brain Broke, Helping My Daughter Recover Her Sanity
Dear Susan,
I was delighted to hear from you, and we certainly share much more than our first names. I just finished reading your book, and related to all of your struggles to help
your daughter achieve remission and recovery. Recovery from severe mental illness
is possible! But the road is long, rocky, and full of pitfalls as you so painfully discovered.
I admire your stamina, courage and mission not only to help your own daughter, but
to help so many others in your own community. Your work in writing the book will
reach many desperate parents around the world, and give them hope and guidance.
Hopefully, their journeys will not have to be as difficult as yours. Thank you, for your
incredibly honest, helpful, and well-informed story. I hope that our paths will cross
someday! Please keep in touch.
Susie Dunham