WEST SPRINGFIELD – Twenty-nine years after horrendous events that changed West Springfield poet and speaker Laura Chagnon’s life forever, she has redefined what it means to forgive and follow your dreams despite obstacles.

On Nov. 4, 1989, Chagnon was walking through the city of Boston on her 26th birthday, enjoying the numerous shops the city offered. Before she knew it, two men began following her. She was kidnapped and thrown into their van as the men threatened to hurt her if she wasn’t quiet. They grabbed her purse, took her money and made a comment about “getting a free high” that night. This was when Chagnon was able to determine the two were heroin addicts. Chagnon was physically and sexually assaulted. The assailants waited until it was dark, before dropping her on the sidewalks of downtown Boston.

She was left legally blind and quadriplegic as a result of the appalling assault. As terrifying as these events are, Laura has not allowed them to define her. She has forgiven the assailants, who were never captured for their crime. Thomas Damoulakis, Chagnon’s soul mate and caregiver, explained that forgiveness was the only way she could move forward. “Even though the assailants were never caught, the first thing she did when she came home was to move on in her life and put the past behind her. She forgave them in her mind. It was not a weak gesture, but forgiveness so she could heal inside. It didn’t justify what they did.”

In moving forward, Chagnon has been able to make huge strides in her life and has impacted the lives of others. She published her first book of poetry, “Never Touched a Pen” in 2014. Since then, she has published “Accepting the Waltz” in 2017 and “Moon-Dusted Blue” this month. As Damoulakis shared, “Laura, being in her shoes, forgiveness was self-healing. That’s when she delved into her poetry to make an impact. That was her focus, her poetry. She never gave her past a second thought. She doesn’t think about it.”

Though “Moon-Dusted Blue” was published less than two weeks ago, Chagnon is already on board to start working on her next release. Damoulakis explained, “She’s really proud of Moon-Dusted Blue. She’s already telling me, ‘We have to start on the fourth book,’ but we have to take care of this release first.”

Chagnon has been storing poems in her computer since 1993. Transcribed by her caretakers, she has over 6,000 poems saved for future publishing. He shared, “When we publish her books, we try to go through and select which we would like to use. It’s not about writing poems, it’s selecting which poems to publish.”

Chagnon touches on a number of subjects in her writing. Her works span from subjects including her spirituality, nature, reality or the physical loss that she suffered. Her soul mate said. “One thing we are proud of is that she doesn’t fit a theme. She has a unique perspective.” One of her poems is inspired by an experience she had over a year ago. She listened to a dog barking daily outside of the house a street behind hers. All day, she’d listen to the dog bark. She felt so badly for him, she wrote a poem entitled “I Am Here, Where Are You?” from his perspective.

In addition to being a published poet, Chagnon is also an inspirational speaker. She frequently visits correctional facilities, shelters and public locations to share her story including the Women’s Correctional Center in Chicopee, Western Mass Correctional Addiction Center, Wilbraham Public Library and Chicopee Comprehensive High School. She also works through the Victim Impact Program at the Hampden County Sheriff’s Office.

Most recently, she spoke at My Father’s House in Thorndike, a faith-based, non-profit group home for men struggling from homelessness or addiction. As Damoulakis said, “They do this all through donations. Pastor Jack has a firm belief that you can take the alcohol or drugs out of people, but it won’t solve the problem. They develop strength through Jesus for life.”

My Father’s House is close to Chagnon’s heart, and she has been speaking at the group home for over three years. Chagnon set out with a goal of making a strong impact on the heroin epidemic through her speaking. Damoulakis shared, “With the adversity she’s faced, she wanted to speak with men and women struggling with their own. Laura shares her story, her whole life. The inmates hear her speaking and see the challenges she’s overcome. They look inwards to themselves and realize they have nothing to complain about. When their sentence is up, they are free.”

Chagnon certainly has made an impact. During a recent event, an inmate showed appreciation for the inspirational poet. “One of the inmates was so moved emotionally, halfway through the presentation, he came up and hugged Laura for over two minutes. He was so appreciative. They always treat her with kindness, respect and gratitude.”

Chagnon was honored in March of this year when she received the Hometown Hero Award. She was one of nine people who received the award from the American Red Cross of Western Massachusetts for making an impact on lives through courage and unselfish acts. The ceremony included an audience of over 700 guests. Damoulakis was among the many who felt the gratitude of the crowd. “Laura got a standing ovation from the crowd. It was very moving. Everyone was moved emotionally by her.”

Additionally, Chagnon was honored with the Unsung Heroine Award in June. She was among 131 women who were honored in Massachusetts. Attending the award ceremony was a pivotal moment in Chagnon’s life, as it was hosted in Boston, the site of her attack. She had not returned to Boston since that horrific night, and it took great strength for her to face the location. Damoulakis described what Laura felt. “It was gratifying. Laura doesn’t seek recognition. Those things just came her way. They were both pleasant surprises. She was humbled by it.”

What’s in the future for Chagnon? More of what she loves: poetry and making an impact on the lives of others. “She writes every day and will continue to speak in correctional facilities. She’s not slowing down by any means.”

Chagnon’s works can be purchased on Amazon and at cizinmediarelations.com.