In the old town of Antibes over coffee, a dear friend and I found ourselves reflecting on a journey neither of us had expected to take.
On June 20, 2022, my life changed with a single phone call.
I was on my way to the airport, about to spend the summer traveling across Europe with my family. My daughter had just turned seven. My doctor told me I had Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM), a rare progressive lung disease. He said it was already advanced, connected me with a lung transplant specialist, and told me I should not fly.
An hour later, I boarded the plane.
As we traveled through Europe, I began learning about LAM. There was no cure—only treatment to slow its progression. The prognosis I read left me devastated.
For weeks, I grieved the health I thought I had lost. I felt frightened, uncertain, and deeply alone. I tried to shield my daughter from what was happening, but children notice more than we imagine. She saw me cry.
One day, while walking through the streets of Paris, I made a decision. I would tell her the truth—gently. And I would focus on the moment, whatever the future held, I wanted us to fill it with moments that mattered.
I was fortunate not to face that journey alone. The LAM Foundation connected me with specialists, answered countless questions, and, perhaps most importantly, gave me a community that understood. They stood beside me as I moved through denial, anger, despair, and, eventually, acceptance. Acceptance didn’t mean giving up. It meant choosing how I wanted to live.
That decision changed more than my outlook—it changed my direction.
I trained as a coach because I wanted my work to reflect what I had learned: that even in our most difficult moments, we often carry more wisdom, resilience, and possibility than we can see ourselves.
Today, I have built my coaching practice, moved to Europe, and continue to do work that feels deeply meaningful. My daughter is now eleven, and watching her grow remains one of my greatest joys.
This summer, I met my dear friend in Antibes—one of the remarkable women I have met through the LAM community. Along the way, I have also had the privilege of working with extraordinary clients whose courage and trust continue to inspire me.
Living with uncertainty has taught me something I now bring into every coaching conversation.
We cannot always choose what happens to us.
But we can choose how we meet it.
And sometimes, that choice becomes the beginning of a life more intentional, more courageous, and more meaningful than the one we had originally planned.
#Lymphangioleiomyomatosis,#ResilienceCoaching,#LivingWIthLam,#LAMFoundation,#Coaching