Angel is a single Mom of four amazing kids and she is a night shift Pediatric Transplant Nurse.
I had a slow transition into veganism. So, while I have never eaten pork, crabs, or lobster, it has been about 30 years since I've eaten beef. I ate chicken off and on for a while. Fish, like salmon, cod, or sea bass were the last to be eliminated. I was a single mom to my son who is now 27 years old and at the age of 24, I was diagnosed with severe endometriosis and fibroids. After having many surgeries. I was told at age 25 that I would need a hysterectomy. I refused, but remained in complete denial about my disease. I had another surgery to remove the fibroids a couple of years later.
My mom suggested that I try some natural herbs and juicing, but I wasn't very interested in natural healing. After years of suffering physically, as well as struggling with depression and miscarriages, I was told by a gynecologist that I would never get pregnant with all my medical problems. By this time, the fibroids had returned a third time, my fallopian tubes were blocked, and my endometriosis pain and symptoms were out of control. I was 32. My last hope was IVF and even the specialist told me with my history I would have a less than 5 % success rate. I never take "no" for an answer, so I did my own research and every time, veganism came up as a way to improve fibroids and endometriosis. I started the IVF cycle combined with Chinese herbs, and stopped eating dairy and meat. I ate fish sometimes. Six months later I was pregnant after one extended IVF cycle. Everyone was shocked. I was pescatarian for a couple of years, then after adding the raw juicing and cutting out the meats, I decided to go full vegan by age 36.
Her dad is from the south so, he is a carnivore at heart. It can be challenging being vegan while your spouse is not. This can make teaching your child about veganism quite difficult. I got stronger and healthier over time and for my second daughter, even though I couldn't get pregnant naturally due to my blocked fallopian tubes, I only needed a mini cycle of IVF meds. My pregnancy with Danya, as a vegan, was amazing and even though I had anatomical challenges, my fibroids has 'shrunk' and my adhesions were minimal. I also did acupuncture and lots of raw juicing too.
I have been a pediatric nurse for 25 yers and have worked in every specialty, mostly oncology, transplant, gastroenterology, and the emergency department. I have always been so amazed by these strong parents who go through the long days and nights with their sick children. This inspired me to start a 501(c)(3) non-profit charity called What About Us Inc. where we help parents with basic supplies and daily needs like toiletries, gas cards, water, etc. I am in the process of launching a new project called "Bags of Love' where I will have a tote bag filled with basic essentials available for 40-50 families per month who stay at the Ronald McDonald Houses or other charity accommodations that help house families while their child is hospitalized.