My Recovery Journey

As some of you know, I drove my girls home from their last day of preschool on August 17, 2023. Later that night I suffered a stroke. I then spent two weeks at Swedish Hospital, missing my girls’ first week of kindergarten, plus ten more weeks at the wonderful Craig Hospital. Since my discharge in November, I’ve been doing outpatient therapy at Craig several days a week, along with some therapy at home.

Luckily, one of the first things I learned in my recovery was that IQ and knowledge are generally held harmless from the type of stroke I had.

I did, however, acquire some disabilities from the stroke. And while I'm deeply grateful to be alive, I'm also cherishing what I'm learning as I experience the world from a new perspective as a result of my disabilities.?

My stroke was technically a traumatic brain injury, as it impacted a portion of the left side of my brain and translated into paralysis on the right side of my body. Luckily, I'm left-handed with what I've learned is called a flipped brain, so unlike many stroke survivors, I'm able to speak and understand others as a result.

I am currently in a wheelchair and relearning how to walk. I also don't have use of my right hand. Typing one handed is hard! I’m also struggling with some vision challenges in my right eye, and my voice and jaw were impacted, so I don't currently have the same melody I had in my voice and I can sound a bit monotone.

I plan to make a full recovery, and I'm hard at work in rehab, relishing the deep knowledge I'm gaining about healthcare and learning theories. This experience has felt like a personal residency in healthcare and an extension of my master’s in education with a minor in learning theory. You can imagine the questions I asked every executive leader at the hospital and the coaching convos I had with my nurses and CNAs.

The unique, once in a lifetime chance I had to choose to live, the night of my stroke and again in brain surgery, has only reinforced my commitment to my two girls, to my family and to our work and purpose-driven mission at Guild. I have a renewed focus on my and Guild’s long running? mission to ensure everyone has access to learning and personalized support for their career growth like what I'm getting at Craig. I also have an expanded and deepened desire to support the US healthcare system through a once-in-a-generation labor force transition, and to ensure that everyone who needs it has access to the type of care I've had.

I’ll conclude by expressing my gratitude to Bijal Shah for stepping gracefully into the interim CEO role and now permanent role. I could not be more thrilled to see her now lead the company forward in her new role as CEO. I also want to thank each of my teammates at Guild , Terrence Cummings , Rebecca Biestman , Jonathan Marek , Alana Brandes , Marty Martinez , Chris Garber , Dan Haley and our newest Rohan Chandran , and the entire Guild team for delivering on one of our best quarters yet in my absence.

I also owe my gratitude to the Guild board for their support throughout this unexpected life experience.?

I send deep gratitude to every nurse, doctor, therapist and Craig Hospital staff member who have supported my recovery through three brain surgeries, three months in the hospital, and a long therapeutic road ahead.?

I also want to thank my family who have been by my side for every step of this journey, and a special call out to my Aunt Liz who found me after my stroke and saved my life. Finally, love to my dear Grandma Bea who passed away while I was in the hospital and whose spirit has given me great resolve in my fight to recover.

Recoveries from stroke are unpredictable, and as I continue to prioritize my recovery for the foreseeable future, I plan to remain in “digital detox” and on a leave of absence, so for now, please don’t expect quick responses from me on email or phone.