Courtesy of Mary Beth Sammons

Mary Beth Sammons is an award-winning journalist and author who writes about the ups and downs of handling life, health and wellness, and reinventing your life with grace and gusto in "Family Circle," the Chicago Tribune's lifestyle section. She also writes for various online health and wellness Web sites, including www.EldercareABC.org; ParentGiving.com; MyCareCommunity.org, American Airlines Web site for female travelers, (www.aa.com/women), and BettyConfidential.com.

As vice-president of editorial, Mary Beth helped launch RevolutionHealth.com and its subsidiary Web site, CarePages.com, building community through editorial content and wrote blogs on both sites about navigating health, wellness and caregiving. She currently creates cause-related marketing campaigns for several non-profits including The Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation and Diveheart.org. She is a former suburban bureau chief for Crain’s Chicago Business and business editor for The Daily Herald.

Mary Beth has written seven books, including "Second Acts That Change Lives: Making a Difference in the World," "We Carry Each Other: Getting Through Life's Toughest Times"; "My Family: Collected Memories"; and "Gifts with Heart." Her newest book, "Living Life as a Thank You," will be published in fall 2009. She has received several industry awards, including first place from United Press International for best spot news coverage, a PR Silver Anvil Award, and an undergraduate scholarship from the William Randolph Hearst Foundation.

When she’s not hanging out in intensive care units with her parents, Mary Beth competes in triathlons and knits, reads and gardens with passion. She lives in the Chicago suburbs with her children. To contact Mary Beth, e-mail her at marybethsammons@aol.com.