Guillain-Barré & Post-Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS): Vanessa's ICU Survivor Story

What happens when the parent becomes the patient, and the medical journey is no longer happening to your child, but to you? In the Season 3 premiere of Born For This Stories, Johanna and Peter sit down with Vanessa, a speech pathologist, mother, ICU survivor, and author of Speechless. Vanessa shares the life-altering medical crisis that began with what felt like a sudden illness and quickly became a rare neurological diagnosis, hospitalization, life support, tracheostomy, feeding tube, and a long road home. This episode opens a powerful new conversation for the Born For This community: medical trauma does not only happen to children, and survival is not the end of the story. Vanessa shares what it was like to come home after the ICU, unable to drive, work, eat safely, fully care for herself, or mother the way she once had. She also brings awareness to post-intensive care syndrome, PICS, ICU recovery, caregiver burnout, medical PTSD, depression, anxiety, brain fog, and the missing mental health support so many survivors need after discharge. If you are a parent, caregiver, medical professional, ICU survivor, or someone who loves a person recovering from medical trauma, this episode is a deeply important reminder that healing requires more than being kept alive. It requires support, community, compassion, and people who understand what life after survival really feels like. In this episode – Vanessa's sudden illness and rare Guillain-Barré variant diagnosis – What it was like to experience ICU care, life support, tracheostomy, and a feeding tube – The emotional impact of losing her ability to speak as a speech pathologist – Life after the ICU and the reality of post-intensive care syndrome, PICS – Depression, anxiety, insomnia, brain fog, hypervigilance, and medical trauma after discharge – Why survivors and families need mental health support, not just medical equipment – The impact of serious illness on motherhood, marriage, and caregivers – How support groups helped Vanessa feel less alone in recovery – Why medical professionals need more education around medical trauma – Vanessa's book Speechless and her mission to bring hope to ICU survivors and families Share This Episode If this episode met you where you are, don't keep it to yourself. Someone in your life is sitting in a waiting room right now, googling words she never wanted to learn. Send her this one. Share it to your story, text it to a friend, leave a review — every share puts this in front of one more mama who needs to hear she's not alone. Know Someone With a Story to Tell? We're always looking for parents willing to share their journey — the messy middle, not just the highlight reel. If you or someone you know has walked a path other medical mamas need to hear about, we'd love to have you on the show. Reach out at [email protected] and let's talk. Join HELD HELD is here — empowered guidance for medical mamas who are done blaming themselves and want to feel less alone. Inside, we don't gatekeep information. We talk about what's real and raw, no performing required. Become a founding member now at https://held-mamas-connected.lovable.app/ You were Born for This.