Former nurse writes to fight MS

Andrea Trosclair’s life was turned upside down several years ago.

She’s righted it though and has found ways to try to help others facing challenges in their own lives.

“God has a plan for me. I have to trust him right now,” Trosclair said.

Trosclair, 38, had to give up the career she loved as a registered nurse, in the wake of her diagnosis in 2005 with multiple sclerosis.

These days, she’s found another way to contribute to others, as an author of children’s books.

Her self-published book, “Gracie’s Gift,” came out last fall, and Trosclair plans to donate a portion of the proceeds from its sale to the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America.

She has other books in the works, each to benefit a different charity.

On Saturday, Trosclair will be at the Walk MS: Baton Rouge fundraising event at Perkins Rowe to walk with her team of family and friends.

Her books will be sold there that day, too, with a portion of the proceeds going to the sponsor of the local walk, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

“Gracie’s Gift,” illustrated by Sean Gautreaux, of New Orleans, tells of a conversation between a little girl and her mother about hair bows, representative of the gifts that daughters are and how treasured they are.