A single mother of three children, Nancy Michaels is a consummate survivor. While traveling for business in 2005, she became ill. Upon her return, Nancy was hospitalized for an unexpected and fast-acting case of complete liver failure. Following an emergency liver transplant, she fell into a two-month coma and lost custody of her three children. Upon recovery she fought to have them reinstated with her. "None of this stopped me," said Nancy. "Nope, that's when reinvention started."

Nancy's Story

Nancy is a single mother of three children (two Chinese-adopted, and one biological son with special needs), and a consummate survivor. She experienced a liver transplant in 2005, was the topic of the Mortality and Morbidity Conference that year, lost custody of her three children while ill, only to fight and have them reinstated with her once again upon recovery. During these trying times, she personally lost everything, and regained it within a few short years.

"At age 40, my husband of 16 years wanted out and I was left behind with our three small children to care for. I had a home to maintain and a business to run. Needless to say, my emotional and physical health was severely challenged. For me, divorce proved to be the catalyst for severe health issues," Nancy explains.

While on the road for business, she became ill. Upon her return, Nancy was hospitalized for an unexpected and fast-acting case of complete liver failure. She almost didn't make it. Nancy had an emergency liver transplant, and fell into a two-month coma. They kept her in the ICU unit for three months; Nancy received rehabilitation, and stayed with her parents for six months. This was all before she was allowed to return to a recently broken home and a business that gratefully survived due to 'coma-proof marketing' (meaning the relationships she had developed). "None of this stopped me. Nope, that's when reinvention started," said Nancy.