Hannah Was Here

About the Book

"Nancy's candor and willingness to share her family's profound story is a gift. With painstaking detail,  she bravely opens an intimate window into the heart wrenching roller coaster of hope and loss. I was enraged, devastated, and moved with every turn of the page. Hannah Was Here is an alarm that must be heard.” ~Brian Aubert- Silversun Pickups "What Nancy has accomplished is nothing short of awe inspiring. There are so many lessons to learn from Hannah's story, with beautiful honesty through Nancy's eyes. Nancy brings recognition to the world and perhaps more importantly the medical community of "DRESS," the undisclosed and potentially lethal complications of pharmaceutical products and policy and the need to stand up and have a voice.  How could one little girl touch the lives of so many? Hannah's fight, both in life and death, carried on by her inspiring family will empower hundreds of thousands to choose the beauty of morality, courage, and love. Quite simply, Hannah has changed my life. Thank you.” ~Jamie Taylor, MD “Hannah’s story is deeply moving and shocking. To this day, Hannah is accompanying me. How was a single drug given for such benign skin lesions allowed to strike her down and cut short her promising life? This tragic story is urging us to better understand DRESS, and from now on drugs associated with DRESS should be avoided when unjustified.” ~Dr. Vincent Descamps- French expert on DRESS "HANNAH WAS HERE is a tribute like none other I have ever read.  Nancy is a one woman army who holds the strength of a country with the touch of a mother's heart.  This book should be read by all, young and old, and used to educate the world.  Thank you Nancy, from the bottom of my heart."  Evan Lesser, Film Producer.      “I've never read anything so quick. I'm a slow reader by trade--which makes being a paper grader hard work--so, I know what I'm saying. There were parts that were impossible for me to read. And there were times when I had to wipe through tears to see. You've poured your soul into this writing-and the work you're doing now to inform parents and kids of the dangers of prescriptions and how they're prescribed is such a fitting tribute. I'm just so incredibly moved by what you've written here. Thank you so much” ~Mark Storer English Teacher and Freelance Writer I knew Hannah as the principal of the school that ran her Bully Buddy program and from living next door to her. Still, none of that prepared me for this raw look at the emotional upheaval the entire family experienced. It’s unbelievable reading all that Hannah’s young mind and body endured. Nancy leaves out nothing, telling her families journey and how they came to be enmeshed in a united battle for Hannah’s life. The grisly details of hospital life are intertwined with family history, emails, and journal entries from a remarkable young lady. I knew it was to be a cautionary tale, important for families to read before deciding about acne treatments, but this is a compelling story for any reader. ~Patty Kingsley Principal

About the Author

Nancy Szakacsy M.S. LMFT is a licensed marriage and family therapist and addiction expert. She has been a featured mental health expert on The Thread with Suzanne Somers, Fox and Friends “The Big Story,” E! Channel’s “Addicted to Pills,” Hollywood 411, Fox News, and KNX 1070 radio and continues to contribute regularly on local and national radio. Nancy is married twenty-eight years to Doug Szakacsy, a chemistry teacher who remains a guitarist and songwriter. The couple has two children, a teenage daughter and honor student, Hannah, who created Stop the Bully and Bully Buddies and a son, Samson, who played quarterback for Arizona State. A 2010 Pat Tillman Scholar, Samson’s work with the San Carlos Apache Tribe landed him on the cover of Sports Illustrated. He’s a singer/songwriter best known musically for his albums Chasing Truth, Angels, Light Loves Dark and his new original album Dear You, Love Me, co-created and produced with his dad, Doug Szakacsy.