Gasping for Breath: My doctors misdiagnosed me with heart disease and early-onset dementia, neither of which I had. They warned me that I might need a heart transplant and subjected me to unnecessary heart surgeries and other procedures. Their medical mistakes led me to go into anaphylactic shock, causing my body to shut down and leave me unable to breathe. I nearly died. Twice. The root cause? A simple mold allergy that NONE of my doctors recognized, despite its commonality and the fact that a simple test could have easily diagnosed me ... if only they had known "How" to do it.

Medical Malpractice: I endured 4 unnecessary heart procedures, with 2 additional heart surgeries from complications, while the real culprit was mold illness. I also suffered from CIRS Disease & environmental toxins for over 40 years unnecessarily. All of which could have been prevented early on & fixed had I found the right doctors who understood what to do.

Instead, I was told I had countless other conditions like Cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr Virus, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), Lyme Disease, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Early-Onset Dementia, Depression & Anxiety, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Mononucleosis, Brain Inflammation, Herpes Simplex, Somatization, Derealization & Dissociation.

HEART STOPPING: Following my 3rd unnecessary heart catheterization & stent, I suffered from a blood clot and had a massive heart attack and nearly died. In an instant, I couldn't breathe. My blood pressure plummeted to 46/20, and my Troponin Level (the sign of a heart attack) skyrocketed to 123.323, which was 20,000 times higher than it ever should have been ... and the highest my heart surgeon had ever seen in his life! I ended up needing emergency open-heart surgery and was put on a heart bypass machine. This ordeal left me physically and emotionally scarred and handicapped for live, with permanent heart damage.

After my open-heart surgery, the surgeon said to me, "I've had countless patients in my life. People I'll never remember, but you I will NEVER forget ... I didn't even think it was possible to survive what you just survived. You must have someone out there looking out for you. The closest I've ever seen was a woman whose scores were significantly lower, and that was decades ago. 

That is NOT something I ever want to hear from a world-renowned heart surgeon, nearing retirement, nor a record that I ever wanted to break. In this harrowing brush with mortality, I came as close to death as one could possibly get. Yet despite all odds, I did survive. And I emerged as a fierce independent advocate and became a living testament to the unyielding strength of the human spirit and the power of endurance.

A SILENT GENETIC THREAT: While everyone can get sick & die from mold, those with the HLA-DR gene (located on chromosome #6), can be particularly vulnerable. 30 - 60% of all people in the world have this genetic defect. But sadly, hardly anyone who has it even knows about it. Yet it plays a crucial role in regulating their immune response and can be deadly when exposed to biotoxins, such as those found in water-damaged buildings and from tick-borne illness.

THE HORRORS OF HEALTHCARE:  The true horror in my healthcare experience wasn't just the excruciating physical suffering (which was unbearable at times), but the realization that our medical system is set up to fail those it's meant to protect. Doctors are NOT being taught about the role that environmental toxins & chemicals play on our bodies in medical school as part of their curriculum. Sadly, it's only focused on prescribing pharmaceuticals. Which is ridiculous.

I think it's criminal, too, because this educational gap leads to countless misdiagnoses and prolonged suffering for patients just like you & me. This realization drove me to take control over my own health and better advocate for myself, while finding solutions to my problems despite the traditional Healthcare System failing me.

FROM VICTORY TO VULNERABILITY: Being a member of the US Olympic Jet-Ski Team was a real accomplishment, and receiving a participation medal was a great honor. Performing in front of several hundred thousand people at the Opening Ceremonies Stadium was surreal. Standing there as they raised the USA flag & playing the national anthem was a moment I will truly never forget.

THE LONG ROAD TO DIAGNOSIS: For years after my jet ski racing days, I cycled in and out of mysterious illnesses, never fully understanding the cause. Little did I know, my health struggles were far from over. It took decades of persistent searching and countless doctor visits before I finally uncovered the true root of my ailments.

A FATEFUL TURN: A couple of decades later, a seemingly innocuous incident - a knee injury from a waterslide - set off another chain of events (like the flu did back in college) that would change everything. I underwent knee surgery, but instead of healing, I found myself in a nightmare scenario once again. The surgery was botched, and as I stayed home to recover, I once again fell seriously ill. Unbeknownst to me, I was facing a familiar, silent enemy: mold.

THE BREAKING POINT: My life came to a screeching halt that day, and everything literally STOPPED. Once again, I was living on the water, but this time in sunny Saint Petersburg, Florida (my little slice of paradise), where I found myself unable to walk, or work, or drive my son to school. This crisis crystallized my urgent need to become my own best advocate and learn how to better navigate through the medical maze. I could no longer blindly trust my doctors. I needed to take control of my own health and make better and more well-informed healthcare decisions. 

A NEW MISSION:  My journey through the medical maze was nothing short of harrowing. I've now endured 19 major surgeries (most of them unnecessary), and the financial toll was devastating - over $500,000 spent in out-of-pocket costs and more than $2.5 million in medical claims. Plus, I nearly died twice. These experiences, as traumatic as they were, fueled my determination to prevent others from facing similar ordeals. And became the driving force behind my mission to empower others with the tools & resources they needed to better navigate through our complex healthcare system. 

A TURNING POINT:  I eventually got to the 'root cause' of my illness and onto an evidence-based diagnosis that I could trust. From then on, I became laser-focused on three critical areas: Simplifying Healthcare Navigation, Detoxification & Air Purification. These 3 things would not only become my path to recovery but also the cornerstone of my mission in helping others today. Empowered with this knowledge, I set out to transform my health and support others in their own journeys to wellness.

I WAS VULNERABLE:  Look, I’m a smart, capable, and professional woman. I graduated with my master's degree in Human Development (Suma Cum Laude), at the top of my class. But even that wasn’t enough to protect me. Plus, I’ve got a brother who's a Physician’s Assistant, and a sister who's a Medical Lab Technician. But even that wasn’t enough to protect me! Despite my intelligence and medical connections, I still found myself at the mercy of a flawed Healthcare System.

I WAS VICTIMIZED: I devoted much of my life to becoming a "better & more efficient patient" and learning all the skills of Self-Advocacy. But even that wasn’t enough to protect me! Nor was my becoming a Board-Certified Patient Advocate and one of the first 250 people in the entire world to earn such a distinguished designation. But even that was not enough to protect me! The Healthcare System's flaws and biases still left me vulnerable and victimized to misdiagnosis and inadequate treatment.

SURVIVING BY INSTINCT: Had I not made all of the right decisions, in the right order, instantaneously, by gut instinct alone (and absolute reflex), I would NOT be here with you today. I would be dead. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, I KNOW THAT, FOR SURE !! I had to advocate fiercely for myself during my medical emergency, even while lying on the operating room table, semi-conscious, as the surgeon worked ferociously, shoving the guide wires up my arm and into my heart to open up the blockage caused by the blood clot from the stent that was placed there unnecessarily. Even during that surgery, I was advocating for myself to negotiate my way to a Level 1 Trauma Center that I felt was better equipped to handle the open-heart surgery they said I needed to save my life. I'm just glad I was conscious enough to do it.