by Katelyn Dotson
Tara Prouty is a skilled local author. Each of her books is unique and creatively written, and some of her work is inspired by the hardships she has endured. Tara had Intestinal Failure from the early age of four but was not diagnosed until years later. After high school, she went to Ohio University Zanesville (OUZ) for nursing but because of her serious illness, she could not keep going to the school. Tara has been writing since she was ten years old. It appeals to her not only because it is something she loves to do, but also because it can be done from home. “Anybody can really do it that has the passion for it, it’s just that you have the motivation and desire to do it that’s the big thing,” Tara said.
Tara has struggled with chronic health problems all her life and was eventually diagnosed with global gastrointestinal dysmotility, colonic inertia, and gastroparesis. The illness originates from Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, which is a genetic condition. She was not able to eat or drink anything for five years and had to use tubes in order to obtain the necessary nutrition. The tubes provided a form of both food and water however, Tara was constantly having to endure the pain of dehydration and starvation. “It’s a very rare disease to have your gut paralyzed, like the whole thing, and just shut down so it does not show up on many tests and most people don’t get diagnosed until it is really bad,” she stated. The illness was very taxing and eventually, she needed an intestinal transplant, which was very expensive, even with health insurance. Fortunately, Tara received the life-saving transplant about a year ago however, the cost is still unfathomably high. To put it into perspective, an intestinal transplant most generally costs over one million dollars. In addition to this, Tara needs costly medications and her doctor visits are very expensive as well. Because of the high medical bills, Tara decided to do some bake sales and book signings to raise money.
Tara has published seven books so far using her pen name T.R. Prouty, including the “Tomorrow is Another Day” series, written for a middle school audience, which consists of five books, and is about DJ Tipper who lives in “Crab Cove”. Another book Tara has written is a romance novel titled “Open Heart Surgery”, which is the first book in the “Sisterhood of Broken Hearts” series and was published most recently, in Mach earlier this year. Tara collaborated with USA Today bestselling author Anne Stryker to write her first fantasy “Of Tubes and Tides”.This is a young adult fantasy romance about a girl who has gastroparesis and is on life support. She and her faerie friend must overcome many obstacles in order to save their homeland from evil. To purchase any of these books, go to either https://www.barnesandnoble.com/, or https://www.amazon.com/. Her books will be for sale at the Dresden Melon Festival on August 5 as well. You can follow Tara on Instagram @regallywritten.
Though Tara got the transplant, she still needs medical care and the abundant expenses are extremely demanding. However, there are multiple ways to help Tara and her family. You could buy some of her books, go to her bake sales or book signings, or directly donate to her Giving Tuesday fundraising website by going to https://givingtuesday.mightycause.com/story/Taraprouty where she has raised just over $9,000 out of her $30,000 goal. You could also mail direct donations to her P.O. box at the address of Tara Prouty P.O. Box 38 Dresden OH, 43821.
It takes a lot of strength to be able to push through the difficult times and keep going, and even after everything she’s been through, Tara didn’t let her condition stop her from doing what she loves.