For almost ten years, Ashleigh Nowakowski stood on stage alongside her brother in front of countless students across the Midwest sharing their stories of the impact that substance abuse had on their lives from different perspectives: the user and the sibling. They talked about her brother’s recovery, providing hope for others that their loved ones could get sober … until Ashleigh’s world came crashing down on her when her brother relapsed. It wasn’t until then that Ashleigh realized she had never really healed from the past and was still living in her brother’s shadow. The Shadow Child offers a raw and vulnerable inside look at the thoughts, feelings, and emotions a sibling goes through as he or she watches the loved one abuse substances.
A native and current resident of southeastern Wisconsin, Ashleigh drew upon her experiences with her brother to create Your Choice to Live Inc., a nonprofit organization specializing in drug and alcohol prevention education. For more than a decade, she has spoken in middle schools and high schools, educating parents, teachers, and community members, and working with high-risk youth. She is the voice of many who are silently suffering through their sibling’s addiction.
The book features a poignant and personal foreword by Tom Farley, brother of the late comedic actor Chris Farley, who died of a drug overdose in 1997 at the age of 33. Tom Farley has spent years speaking on substance abuse and what it does to the family of the abuser, even writing a New York Times bestselling book about his experiences. He and Ashleigh are both Wisconsin natives who have gotten to know each other through their work in this area. Ashleigh has a Master of Public Administration degree, a prevention specialist certification, and is working toward her substance abuse counselor certificate. Walk with her in The Shadow Child as she heals from the past and finds herself.