Bożena Lamparska’s life began with an obstacle, but she has spent every chapter since pushing forward, crafting a life rich in art, intellect and resilience.

Born in January 1955, just months before the polio vaccine was widely introduced, Lamparska contracted the virus at 10 months old.

“No one ever figured out how I got it,” she says. By the age of 14, she had already undergone a dozen surgeries. But instead of letting limitations define her, Bozena found expression through music — a suggestion from her doctor to keep her hands active that would become a lifelong passion.

Lamparska went on to teach applied music at St. Lawrence University, specializing in voice, harpsichord and piano. “I wasn’t going to be a Vladimir Horowitz,” she said, “but I played and I taught.”

Her musicality flourished despite physical limitations, and she became a respected performer, frequently called on as a last-minute soloist due to her impeccable sight-reading skills.

Over the years, Lamparska wore many professional hats — musician, educator, administrative assistant, researcher, mental health counselor and IT specialist.

“I got bored easily,” she said. After moving into computer work in the 1990s, she led the IT department at a major nonprofit in Philadelphia and became a certified Microsoft engineer. She even helped safeguard data during the Y2K scare.

Lamparska’s life took her from her native Rhode Island to Baltimore, upstate New York, Philadelphia, Maryland’s Eastern Shore and finally to Michigan, where she now lives at Brookdale Southfield. While mobility has become more difficult, she now uses a motorized wheelchair due to a complex mix of post-polio complications, aging and Parkinson’s — her sense of purpose remains clear.

“I try to feel useful,” she said. “Whether it’s helping someone with computer issues or singing along with medieval and Renaissance recordings, I still find ways to stay engaged.”

Though she no longer performs as she once did, music remains central to her life. She listens to choral works, sings along with the scores, and surrounds herself with the compositions she loves most. “Music was real important to me,” she said. “And I didn’t fully realize just how important until I couldn’t play anymore.”

Her advice for others facing physical or emotional limitations is simple: “Just keep moving forward, regardless of limitations. Do the best you can.”

And that’s exactly what she’s done.