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Sunday, 12/28/2025, 8:30am - Like It Is

Vanessa Abraham
Vanessa Abraham

Speechless: How a Speech Therapist Lost Her Ability to Speak and Her Silent Struggle to Reclaim Her Voice and Life.

This memoir by Vanessa Abraham, a Speech Pathologist who suddenly faced a rare neurological disease. Within a week, she went from being a mother and full-time employee to being unable to move, eat, or speak, relying entirely on others for care.
In this emotional narrative, Abraham recounts her month-long stay in the ICU, grappling with profound challenges as a mother. The anguish of being unable to care for, hold, or communicate with her child weighs heavily on her. She confronts the emotional toll of her condition, including the psychological impact of her ICU experience and Post-Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS).

Abraham shares her mental struggles and feelings of isolation, but also chronicles her journey through rehabilitation, highlighting moments of resilience as she fights to reclaim her life. Her story offers profound insights into hope, fear, and the enduring strength of the human spirit amid adversity.

Areas of discussion:

*Building Resilience Through Reflection
Healey explained a four-phase process for building resilience: Reflect, where individuals take time daily to reflect on their day with gratitude; Build, which focuses on developing a positive mindset and support system; ACT, where people face challenges, set goals, and act; and Renew, where they learn from adversity, celebrate their achievements, and strive to become better. Terry emphasized that the process is customizable and encourages individuals to choose positivity, set goals, and focus on personal growth.

*Gratitude and Resilience Journey
Terry shared his personal journey with sarcoma cancer, emphasizing how the experience taught him gratitude, provided a new life perspective, and fostered empathy. He discussed his book, "The Resilience Mindset," which was inspired by audience requests for a prescriptive self-development guide based on his experiences and those of others who overcame adversity. Terry explained that the book aims to help readers prepare for challenges by sharing lessons learned from personal struggles.

*Resilience Through Personal Themes
Terry shared his personal experience with resilience, highlighting how a song called "Never Surrender" by Corey Hart helped him cope with a challenging medical situation. He emphasized the importance of finding a personal theme song that inspires hope and resilience during tough times. Terry also discussed his book, "A Pimple Nearly Killed Me and A Resilience Mindset," which aims to provide readers with tools and methods to build resilience and maintain hope, despite life's adversities.

*Perspective and Resilience Discussion
Dr. Franklin and Terry discussed the importance of perspective in their community, emphasizing the need to appreciate the relative safety and comfort they enjoy compared to many others worldwide.