BETTER • HEALTH
‘I’ll Love Who I Am’ Kathy Laurinaitis shares her harrowing medical journey By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
athy Colace Laurinaitis, with one side of her face drooping, struggles to relax and let her bright, natural smile shine through during a photo shoot in her luxurious condo. Interviews and photo shoots are important to Laurinaitis, as, for the last year, she had surgery for a blueberry-sized benign tumor on her brainstem and now deals with its aftereffects. She documented part of her journey on her twin daughters’ show “Total Bellas,” and she yearns to continue that journey to bring awareness to brain health. On Laurinaitis’ one-year survivor anniversary, the Brain Injury Alliance of Arizona announced it will honor her at its Brainiac Bash…a Soiree to Support Brain Health on Friday, January 14, at North Phoenix’s Chateau Luxe. She will speak at the gala and receive the Woman of Courage award. The evening will feature ballroom routines from competitive dancers and prominent Arizonans, including Barry Goldwater Jr., Dr. Dina Shacknai, Carrie Martz, Debbie Gaby and Julie Xander, and a performance by the Bella Twins, Nikki Garcia-Colace
Kathy Colace Laurinaitis, the mother of Nikki and Brie Bella, will be honored with the Woman of Courage award at the Brainiac Bash…a Soiree to Support Brain Health. (Photo by Dennis Murphy)
NORTHVALLEYMAGAZINE.COM OCTOBER 2021 | NOVEMBER 2021
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