Hi, I’m Dessi!
I’ve been through more adversity in my lifetime to carry me through several more. At 8 years old my mom died of pancreatic cancer, and my stepmom Janice raised me. At 15 years old, I was paralyzed with a near-fatal infection of endocarditis that came with a side order of brain seizures. At 18 years old I fell into a debilitating depression ending with a suicide attempt.
After that point, my life felt numb and motionless with intensive therapy and antidepressants suffocating my ambition.
In 2009, Janice met her future husband, Mike. He became an ally, a father, a best friend, and he taught me how to live life to the fullest. Using my past as fuel and my present as the engine, I soared to new levels of success. I became a firefighter, completed my Master’s in Toxicology, had a renewed vigor to learn and to do everything, and completely stopped taking antidepressants.
In 2021, Mike died unexpectedly of a fentanyl overdose. His death made me determined to live more than ever. I became a board certified toxicologist and saved billion dollar programs, I became a successful entrepreneur, I became a published author, and I became sober.
I became my most epic self.
Today, I’m a motivational speaker on a mission to free others just as Mike freed me. I’m here to be an ally, to teach others how to use pain as power and turn vulnerability into victory.
Let's dance.
