Welcome!
Emily M. DeArdo is a writer, speaker, and double lung recipient. At the age of 11, she was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, a fatal genetic disease, and received a double-lung transplant at the age of 23 at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, OH. Her memoir of these experiences, Living Memento Mori: My Journey Through the Stations of the Cross, was published by Ave Maria Press on January 24, 2020.
Emily graduated from Capital University in Bexley, Ohio, with a degree in Political Science and English Literature. After graduation she received a Fellowship from the Ohio Legislative Service Commission, where she worked for several senators, as well as covering the proceedings of the Finance, Ways & Means, and State and Local Government committees for the Senate Majority Caucus. For the next ten years she worked for the state senate in the Majority Caucus Communications Office and the Clerk’s office. She was named the Diocese of Columbus Young Catholic Woman of the Year in 2005 and is a member of the Sigma Alpha Iota and Sigma Tau Delta professional fraternities.
She is a writer for Take Up & Read, a women’s devotional ministry that encourages women to get into the habit of lectio divina (“holy reading” of the Scriptures), and wrote an ebook, Catholic 101: The Basics of Catholicism. Her writing has also been featured on Accepting the Gift, ForEveryMom.com, Mere Orthodoxy, and Public Discourse.
Emily is the oldest of three children, is a member of St. Matthew’s Parish in Gahanna, OH and a member of the Dominican Third Order. She is also a classically-trained vocalist, a bibliophile, a rabid hockey fan, and aunt to two adorable nieces.
Fun Facts
I’m an ESTJ (Basically, I like to tell people what to do, and I follow rules.)
I’m a crazy bibliophile. I read all the time—more than 200 books a year.
I’m a rabid Jane Austen fan and I did my English undergrad thesis on Mansfield Park.
I’ve worked on presidential, state, and congressional political campaigns.
I have a cochlear implant in my left ear.
I’ve always lived in Central Ohio.
The Wizard of Oz is my absolute all time favorite movie.
I have a younger brother and sister, both of whom are married. My brother is a writer for CBS sports, and my sister is a pediatric nurse.
My confirmation saint was St. Therese of Lisieux.
My voice fach is a dramatic contralto (but my range is about three octaves. Give or take. :) )
My favorite musical is The Phantom of the Opera
The first time I was on stage, I was five years old.
The first chapter book I ever read was Little House in the Big Woods, and as such, I love Laura.