My journey into healing began a few years ago, sporadic at first, but recently, I’ve felt a deeper call to truly understand what healing means. I started questioning the long-term effects of pharmaceuticals, noticing how often they mask symptoms rather than address the root cause. I looked at my family: my mother lost to cancer, and witnessing my father, for most of my life, relying on expensive medications, that seemed to make everything worse. How is it that in a world so advanced, we still have no real cures for such common illnesses like diabetes, some forms of cancer, or heart disease? Even though we’re pumping billions of dollars into research.
Why are we not pushing exercise, whole foods, and the elimination of processed ingredients as the first line of defense? Why are we so quick to medicate, but so slow to educate on prevention? Movement, nutrition, and rest are foundational to wellness, yet they’re rarely the focus of care plans. It seems like we’ve normalized being sick, as long as there’s a prescription attached to it. Not knowing how the long term effects of those prescribed medications will affect us in the long and short term.
It became even more personal when my father began experiencing unexplained back pain. It lingered, then stayed. Multiple doctors’ visits yielded no clear answers. And yet, with my untrained eyes, I looked at his bloodwork and saw what no one had said: a kidney issue. That moment changed everything. I took his care into my own hands. If I couldn’t do it for my mother, I’ll do it for my father.
I dove into research; natural remedies, dietary shifts, and early interventions for kidney health. Slowly, we started to see change. His kidney levels improved, without the prescribed medications. Then, through my research, I discovered The Goddess Collection, an herbalist in New Orleans whose Kidney Kindness Tea became a turning point. With her help, my father’s kidney function improved significantly from stage 3B to 2A. Even his back pain disappeared, he started to feel better and we started to believe in healing again.
And I began to ask the harder questions: Why are we taught to put so much faith in systems that profit more from our sickness than our healing? Why do solutions only seem to appear when things get dire? I don’t blame every doctor, many enter the field with noble intentions. I know I once dreamed of being one myself, hoping to cure cancer. But life had other plans (and I learned that queasiness and surgery don’t mix).
Still, what I’ve learned is this: the system is not built for full recovery. Patients are often seen as dollar signs, not people. Insurance companies make decisions based on cost, not compassion. And so, many of us are left to advocate for our own healing.
Herbalism, for me, isn’t just about plants. It’s about reclaiming power, restoring balance, and honoring my roots. It’s my way of healing generational wounds. I couldn’t save my mother, but I will do everything I can for my father. And in the process, I’m learning how to care for myself, too.
