In 2010, Colleen Berry Conway braced for a promising and uncharted life shift.
After a nearly two-decade career with Barnes & Noble Booksellers, she became a stay-at-home mom to her toddler son Desmond and partnered with her husband Chris to launch their own Irish gift business, Ogham Art. Colleen is the primary artist and administrator for the business, crafting new and unique pieces that celebrate Celtic heritage.
Within five years her son was diagnosed with autism, her father succumbed to cancer and her mother suffered a stroke. In her new roles as a special needs parent and caregiver to her mom, she plowed through the next several overwhelming years of stress, uncertainty and ultimately, an unhealthy relationship with alcohol. Seeking therapy to alleviate her anxiety, Colleen was led to an adult ADHD diagnosis in 2024 that addressed a lifetime of unanswered questions.
Choosing a sober life and embracing her neurodiversity, she now finds herself on a healing path of self-compassion, clarity, and no more shame. Colleen’s encouraging story reminds us of the deep — and often hidden — struggles of those around us and the necessity to listen, love and forgive.
