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Sisterhood Spotlight

Elisabeth Karry Foley
Elisabeth Karry Foley
Devoted wife, mother, and barista

Elisabeth Karry Foley is a devoted wife, mother, and barista in Ashland, Virginia, who cherishes her faith, family, and community while finding joy in cooking, gardening, and creating meaningful connections.


What has been the most surprising or unexpected source of strength during your journey?

I realized, as I lay in my hospital bed this past summer, that I was experiencing something special— Something most people will never have the pleasure and joy of experiencing. I was able to have a celebration of life while still alive. This revelation and its continuation throughout the duration of my hospital stay, gave me incredible strength of Will to recover. From the moment of learning, I’d been attacked by a shark, family, and friends alike flock to my side. My father and eldest brother immediately flew across state lines to physically be by my side. Each brought his Bible and read verses of strength to me. My youngest brother and his wife drove south to pick up my children. They took them home to his house as the next steps for my care were planned. I received phone calls, texts, cards, and prayers galore! This continued throughout  my hospital stay of 67 days. with each card, I was uplifted, with each visit from a friend or family member. My focus became healing, with each prayer I was renewed in spirit. I had known I was loved, but to see the intense outpouring all at the same time was an experience I shall cherish until I pass on to heaven. There, perhaps, will be another celebration of life, but I cannot imagine it matching the one I have already received.

How has the support from friends, neighbors, and even strangers impacted your recovery?

One thing that most people are not prepared for is the crippling cost of an unexpected medical catastrophe. Health insurance certainly helps, but as most of us know, it only helps so much. We must endure out of network costs and exclusions in our policies to name a couple of headaches. Healthcare is exceedingly overpriced, $5 for an aspirin (I’m not kidding!) and  reform is necessary—but that is for another dissertation. What has quite literally brought me to my knees in prayer of thanksgiving is the never-ending well of financial support from family members, friends, and strangers alike. Knowing that I had a cushion of financial support, I was able to focus my efforts and prayers on thanksgiving and recovery.

Can you share how your faith and family have supported and uplifted you throughout this life-changing experience?

I believe that having a firm faith in the goodness and never failing love of God and being able to scripturally back, this faith up was pivotal as I grappled with the question of “why did this happen to me?” and later dealt with the physical handicaps that would become my new normal. Not only did I have my faith, but I had my family to carry me through the storms of self-pity and depression that seeped through the seams of my wounds. My husband was my rock as he handled the administration of my care, parented our three teenage children, and held down a full-time job. All of this, and he never left my side in spirit and each night in body as he slept next to my hospital bed until I was discharged. He has had to see and do things for me that might send other husbands packing. But he did for me all that was necessary and more, and all with unflinching care.

What message do you hope to share with other women and families who may be facing their own unexpected challenges and use?

It’s impossible to know how life‘s stories will play out. I don’t spend a lot of time trying to imagine the “what if” scenarios in my life. I meet each challenge as it comes; so to tell you that I never in my wildest dreams could have imagined being attacked by a shark and subsequently imagining what the days and months following would bring, is the understatement of the decade. If given the option, obviously I would have declined the experience. But we are not allowed to choose our life‘s experiences fully. Of course we make choices, but we cannot protect ourselves from tragedy, injustice, or adversity. As citizens of the fallen world, we can know that we will not escape hardship. But how can we cope? I will tell you how I would recommend coping— by relying on the goodness of God, remembering that he promises to “strengthen and help us”Isaiah 41:10. 

God allows hardships to befall us, but he does not leave us to go through the fire alone. So much of getting through the difficulty is staying positive and finding the blessings just outside of our despair. Remember that if you are struggling through a challenge, it is in part because the Lord knows you can't handle it, B.) grow into a stronger person for it, and finally C.) use your experience to assist others facing seemingly insurmountable challenges. Let God use you. “Pray continuously, give thanks in all circumstances for this is God‘s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

1st Thessalonians 5:17-18

About Elisabeth

Elisabeth Karry Foley, 51, has been a resident of Ashland, Virginia, since 2013, where she lives with her husband of 20 years, Ryan, and their three children, Laurel (18), Lyla (15), and Dominick (13). She grew up in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, and later Richmond, Virginia. Elisabeth is a Furman University alumna and a graduate of the French Culinary Institute in New York City, reflecting her love for cooking. She works as a barista at Starbucks in Ashland, where she enjoys connecting with her community. Elisabeth cherishes time spent with family and friends, gardening, and cooking, and draws strength and gratitude from her faith as a devoted follower of Jesus. Her warmth and dedication make her a beloved part of the Ashland community.

Elisabeth's Recovery Instagram.

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