When Healing Finds Its Way
Emily was a young girl full of energy, always in motion and eager to fill her days with activity and new experiences. She loved keeping herself busy, whether that meant juggling school, hobbies, or spending time with friends, and she was always excited to try something new. Curious and motivated, Emily thrived on learning and pushing herself beyond her comfort zone. She had recently begun practicing for her driver’s license, savoring the growing sense of independence that came with each lesson. She was also preparing to take the next big step into adulthood by getting ready to look for her first full-time job. Everything in her life seemed to be moving forward, fueled by her enthusiasm and determination.
Not long after returning home from a mission trip to the Dominican Republic, Emily began to feel unwell, starting with an uneasy sickness in her stomach that she assumed would pass. Instead, her condition worsened, and one morning she woke to find her entire body overwhelmed by weakness. She was painfully fatigued, unsteady on her feet, and troubled by a numbness that made even simple movements difficult. The vibrant independence she had been building slipped away as she was forced to stop preparing for her driver’s license and spend days confined to the couch. Needing help with tasks she once did effortlessly was deeply upsetting, leaving Emily frightened and frustrated by how suddenly her world had changed.
When her condition did not improve, she was admitted to the hospital with doctors suspecting Guillain-Barré Syndrome, a diagnosis that explained the sudden and frightening changes in her body. Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) (pronounced Ghee-yan Bah-ray) is a rare neurological autoimmune disorder in which a person’s immune system mistakenly attacks part of their peripheral nervous system—the network of nerves that carries signals from the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body.
Emily spent a week in the ICU, where she received daily infusions of intravenous immunoglobulin to halt the progression of the disease. The treatment was effective in stopping the GBS from worsening, but it did not restore her strength. When Emily was discharged, she was still left feeling weak and exhausted, her body slow to respond as it once had. Doctors explained that recovery would be a long process, taking months and possibly up to a year to feel normal again. She was told there was nothing she could do to speed up her healing—only wait and hope her strength would gradually return.
Emily was not willing to sit back and wait a year for her health and independence to return. Though her body was weakened, her determination remained strong, and she refused to accept inactivity as her only option. She remembered Sara’s Garden and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy from two years earlier, when she had been treated there with remarkable success for Lyme disease. That experience gave her hope that healing did not have to be passive or slow. Drawing on that memory, Emily and her family began exploring whether Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy could once again play a role in helping her body recover and regain strength.
After just one week of hyperbaric treatments, Emily began to feel her strength returning in small but meaningful ways. She felt more awake, more present, and increasingly ready to be active again, no longer relying on a walker for support. Each day brought a little more confidence and energy, reinforcing her determination to keep moving forward. By the third week of treatments, the changes were unmistakable—Emily was going out again, reconnecting with the world around her, and becoming more involved with her family and friends, embracing a renewed sense of independence and hope.
Emily’s family and friends couldn’t help but notice the significant changes taking place during her HBOT treatments, both physically and mentally. With each passing week, she seemed stronger, more engaged, and more like herself, prompting loved ones to excitedly say she was “coming alive again.” After treatments, people often commented that they could see the difference in her eyes—brighter, more focused, and full of renewed energy—clear signs that she was truly feeling better and reconnecting with life around her.
Months after completing her HBOT treatments, Emily continues to feel great and fully back to normal. She is full of energy, motivated, and ready to keep working toward new milestones with confidence. Her progress has translated into meaningful achievements—she passed her driver’s test and is now proudly employed at Special Grounds Coffee. These accomplishments reflect not only her physical recovery but also her determination and enthusiasm for moving forward into this new chapter of her life.
Emily loved and appreciated her time at Sara’s Garden while receiving Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, describing the experience as overwhelmingly positive and life-changing. From the supportive environment to the sense of community she felt during each session, her time there played an important role in her healing journey. Reflecting on her experience, Emily shared, “The staff is so kind and caring and it’s so nice to get to know new people in the chamber.” The compassion, encouragement, and connections she formed at Sara’s Garden left a lasting impact on her life and recovery.
No matter what you’ve been told, there is hope… for this and many other conditions. HBOT is treatment without drugs… without surgery… without pain.
