Tara Larrimore
Beaufort’s Beacon of Light
story by ERIN WALLACE photos by JOHN WOLLWERTH
pictured above: The Larrimore Family: Tia, Tara, Penny, Josh, and puppy Lucy
When you think of some of the most inspirational people you know in your life, who comes to mind? For me, the individuals that pop into my mind are those who endure hardship after hardship and yet continue to forge ahead while encouraging others along the way. Beaufort houses one of these aspiring women who take on many roles while simultaneously choosing to cling to her faith in God, no matter what comes her way. Now that I’ve got you on the edge of your seats allow me to introduce you to Tara Larrimore, the matron of a family of light.
This incredible woman contributes to the Beaufort community by caring for some of its most loved residents: our pets! Tara has spent most of her career as a Veterinary Technician but now manages not one but two veterinary hospitals in Beaufort, Animal Medical Center of the Lowcountry and Animal Medical Center West, and everything in between! Tara is not alone in this venture, being led by Chief of Staff Dr. Mark Guilloud and her co-manager, Jessica Longo, overseeing both hospitals. Tara has always adored animals from a young age: “I always knew I was going to work with animals. One way or another throughout my whole life, it was always animals.” And one way or another, she did! Tara’s most cherished hobby as a young girl was horseback riding, starting at the age of six, so her current gig of tending to our beloved pets today is a perfect fit!
Originally from New England, Tara was born in Connecticut and raised in Peabody, Massachusetts, where her parents and sister still live. However, Tara’s parents will escape the northeastern tundra a couple of months out of every year, living on Fripp Island to spend time with their grandkids! Tara spent her young life in the northeast until 1998 when she finished college, graduating with her BS in Pre-Veterinary Medicine at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Then she moved to Yemassee, South Carolina, training horses on a plantation called Bonny Hall, but she soon transitioned from a training role as she realized her heart was more set upon nursing animals back to health.
The town of Yemassee is much smaller than Beaufort in terms of shopping, so Tara would come over to Beaufort whenever she required groceries. That is how she originally discovered our coastal Lowcountry. Tara worked for three years on the plantation, and while doing so, she quickly fell in love with the South. Simultaneously, Tara was falling for her soon-to-be husband, Josh. They were married in 2005 and have been setting down roots here in Beaufort ever since.
When Tara is not taking care of this town’s animal residents, she is taking care of her own home’s residents, consisting of her two daughters: Tia in 9th grade and Penny in 5th grade, both at Holy Trinity Classical Christian School. We cannot forget her adoring husband, Josh, whose current gig is similar to his past career as a Marine; now he is at the Marine Corps Air Station as a civilian working as the IT Help Desk Manager. You can usually find the Larrimores serving at their local church, Cross Community, greeting churchgoers on the church welcome team or helping out with the youth group; loving on their two rescue dogs (Charlie, a Goldendoodle, and Lucy, a terrier mix); and advocating for epilepsy.
Why are the Larrimores particularly interested in epilepsy? Their oldest daughter Tia was diagnosed with this neurological disorder three years ago. This is an extreme learning curve for the Larrimore family as they try to grasp how this plays out in Tia’s day-to-day life. Tia’s epilepsy is considered refractory as eight medications have failed to successfully treat her seizures so far. Also, her seizures happen just about every single day of her life; seizure-free days are few and far between.
Consequently, Tia had brain surgery this past summer and was hospitalized for two weeks. The surgery was for the implantation of a neurotransmitter into her skull. The hope and prayer are that the neurotransmitter (after a full year of being in her brain) will be able to determine when a seizure is coming and stop it in time, giving Tia the relief they have been searching for. Neurotransmitter technology has only been out for about ten years, and they’ve only just started putting them in kids in the last five years. This is extremely cutting edge to say the least.
Interestingly, enough, there are far more people out there who struggle with epilepsy than you realize, and they’ve found that many don’t want to talk about it. Tara stated, “I don’t think that’s fair or right. I think we should talk about it and make it more of an okay thing. It is nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about.” How right is she! Since the Larrimores have been so intentionally open about the unexpected diagnosis from the beginning — because they knew they needed as much support from the community as they could get — they have had the backing of their Beaufort community from the get-go. A concrete example of this support is that neighbors near and far line up to take their youngest daughter Penny when they go out of town to see their amazing group of neurologists in Charlotte, North Carolina (a trip they have to make quite frequently). The Larrimores’ desire to not be alone in this epilepsy journey is genuinely admirable.
One of Tara and her family’s main goals is to normalize the disorder by being as candid as possible about what life is like for them daily. They have already had similar families reach out to them due to their candor, and they thank the Lord for that. With light in her voice, Tara said, “God works all things together for our good and His glory” (Romans 8:28). The Larrimores firmly trust that their God-given purpose through Tia’s diagnosis is to make sure others in the same boat (epilepsy or not) know that they are not alone in their fight. Therefore, the Larrimores are shining examples for others — what they wished they had found when they first entered the epilepsy world: a beacon of light.
As you can imagine, these past few years for the Larrimores must have felt like a lifetime. Truth be told, you would never know that this sweet family has been navigating Tia’s disorder in the first place because of their grace-filled lives due to their hope in their Savior, Jesus. Something like this could tear a family apart, but it has done nothing but bring their family closer to God and one another. If you ever get the chance to meet the Larrimore family, you will indeed walk away inspired through whatever trial you may be currently facing. Their light-filled lives bring forth hope when all seems dark.
