I am a trauma survivor and speaker who focuses on the lived experience of trauma and the long aftermath that follows survival.  Several years ago, I survived a near-fatal stabbing that resulted in catastrophic injury to my jugular and carotid arteries.  Followed up with an extended recovery marked by panic attacks, depression, survivor’s guilt, and profound disorientation.  What followed was not immediate clarity or gratitude, but what I now call the “the long middle”- the quiet often unseen work of learning how to live again.

My speaking centers on trauma-informed understanding from the survivor’s perspective: how trauma reorganizes identity, how anxiety and fear persist long after physical healing, and how meaning can emerge over time without forcing resolution or positivity.  My case was later incorporated into emergency medicine education by my treating physician, Dr. Molly Hatrich, and presented at the American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians (ACOEP) Annual Scientific Assembly—an experience that reshaped how I understand healing, education, and survivor voice within healthcare systems. I am a part of Cedar’s Sinai trauma support program.

My work is grounded, non-motivational, and focused on bridging lived experience with trauma-informed care.  I hope to reach as many healthcare professionals, students and trauma-informed communities about presence, listening, and the importance of what survivors carry after discharge.