Where it started.

Hi, I’m Janelle. In 2015, I became suddenly ill and began struggling with a collection of mysterious symptoms ranging from weak legs and altered gait, to limbs flailing around on their own. The medical world wasn’t able to give me answers right away, and the uncertainty and gaslighting only fueled my anxiety and darkness. By the time I was finally diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) in 2019, the fear and worry had already taken a heavy toll on my mental health.

The anxiety, in many ways, became as much of a challenge as the illness itself.

I stopped. Everything.

But one day, I realized something powerful:

the only person who could truly help me was myself.

So, I decided to take control, and I set off on the 500 mile pilgrimage known as the Camino de Santiago. Unsure of what lay ahead or even if I would finish day one, that journey became a huge turning point for me—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. It helped me reconnect with my strength and reminded me that even in the face of uncertainty, there is so much life to be lived.