Eighteen years ago, K. Marie Konsol was working on a promising career as a classical singer (very specifically, a hochdramatischer Sopran also called a dramatic soprano or a Wagnerian soprano). Then, her world changed. She found she couldn’t sing comfortably any more. She gave up singing and moved from Florida back to Michigan, met and married Roy Hartford, and was happy enough as a housewife who always aspired to get back to singing.
To further that goal, she went to school to become a naturopathic doctor to heal herself. It worked! She is now a board certified naturopathic doctor. She also changed her name from Kim Marie Konsol Hartford to Ylona Marie Kim Konsol Hartford.
There have been many changes in Ylona’s life. The most dramatic one, perhaps, being that on November 17, 2022, Ylona almost left this life after having surgery to remove a VP shunt because she had healed enough to not need it (something they never do without putting another back in). There was a complication though, and Ylona suffered a brain hemorrhage of a type that immediately kills or renders a staggering 80% of people who have it to remain in a vegetative state until they pass on. Ylona has beaten those odds and feels blessed to be able to return to sharing music with others!
Today, Ylona is back in college pursuing a master’s degree in communication sciences and disorders after realizing how much benefit speech-language pathologists bring to the world and not getting enough service for her own recovery due to insurance. As always, when met with a challenge, Ylona will look for a window when the door closes and learn to help herself. Being back in college has offered yet another level of growth and healing for Ylona.
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In the words of American composer Lee Hoiby:
I want to be where the music comes from… and oh, I want to love.
I love all of you for joining me today. Thank you.
