I believe that Louise's work, shining through her extraordinary abilities as a motivational speaker, is of  paramount importance to anyone going through adversity  or needing direction.
Minnie Driver, Actress   

I have firsthand witnessed Louise's ability as a motivational speaker and can attest to the powerful  and  inspirational  effect  she  has  on  her  audience.
Montel Williams, Montel Williams Show 

I am very grateful for the profound impact she has made on the lives of our children.
Neil Willenson, Founder & CEO Camp Heartland 

Louise's Story 

With an amazing life story of twists of fate, actress Louise Ashby is a remarkable young woman, while facing monumental obstacles,  beat  the  odds.  The  radical changes  that  Louise was  forced  to  endure have not only empowered her but  she has steadfastly pursued her lifelong goals and found success in the face of tragedy.

At twenty-two, Louise was a gorgeous young woman working in London as an actress and model, one of a small group of thespians that were on the cusp  of stardom. Louise was introduced to the industry at an early age, as her father John  Ashby,  is  a  leading  show  business manager, representing  such clients as Petula Clark, the late Matt Monroe and Cilla Black. Her mother, Lynda King, was a sixties model and actress, who appeared in the television show "Space 199" with Martin Landau. Lynda became terminally ill and Louise witnessed the strength and courage  of a woman who never gave  up but eventually lost her long battle with leukemia in 1991.

In 1992, cut adrift by the loss and fortified by her mother's example, Louise  took  the plunge and moved thousands of miles away from her home to Los Angeles. Her dream had always been to work in Hollywood and find success in film and there was nothing holding her to England any longer. 

A month after arriving in Los Angeles, Louise  was  the  victim  of  what  city authorities attest was the worst auto accident in the area in thirty years. A retired  physician,  seventy-five  years  old, driving on the wrong side of the road, hit Louise's  car  head  on.  The  impact  was  so severe that Louise had to  be extracted from the car by a device called "The Jaws of Life," which effectively cuts the car away  from  the  body.  There  were  twelve fire engines on the scene. Louise, who was wearing her seat belt, hit the upper frame of  the  windshield  with  her  face.  The  left side  of  her  skull  was  crushed;  her  brain completely  exposed.  Ironically,  the  other passenger in Louise's car walked away virtually  unscathed,  as  did  the  driver  of the other vehicle. It was later determined that Louise's car, unbeknownst to her, had been a salvaged vehicle, meaning that it had  been  pieced  together  using  faulty parts. 

Louise  underwent  eleven  hours  of emergency brain surgery upon being taken to Cedars Sinai Hospital. Her father, who lived in England, rushed over, having been warned  that  his  daughter  would  probably not survive through the night. Louise was comatose for four days after surgery and when  she  awakened,  the  fight  to  survive had only just begun. 

Louise has documented her  journey  in her incredible book "The Magic of the Mask". This extraordinary story takes readers along the hard road that Louise traveled to  regain  her  life.  Taking  eighteen  reconstructive  surgeries (to date) necessary to  recreate her  face, documented are the challenges, both internal and external, that she  had to overcome to keep  her dream alive. Personal relationships that died, and those that were born; the legal battles that  pitted  her against more powerful and unscrupulous opponents; the fear, the pain and the isolation; and  ultimately, the discovery  of her own strength and determination. 

The  narrative  is  supplemented  by interviews with world renowned  surgeons and  specialists  who  worked  on  Louise’s case, many of whom now consider her a dear  friend.  Photos  of  her  at  every progressive  stage of  her recovery were provided  along  with  medial  diagrams particular to her case.