Simone trained as a radiation therapist at Auckland hospital. She has a passion for writing good resources for chronically ill mothers. She describes it this way, "Professionally I knew a lot about chronic illness from my years working in radiotherapy. However, when I developed Crohn's disease I gained the lived experience. Going on drugs like azathioprine (imuran) and prednisone opened my eyes to the resources that were needed." Simone was diagnosed with Crohn's disease in 1998.