Dr. Vanessa

A Childhood Marked by Sickness

Growing up, I was a happy kid with big dreams. But as I got older, my health began to unravel. What started as gut issues soon turned into missed school days, endless doctor visits, and prescription after prescription.

My parents—both Hispanic immigrants who moved to Canada to give me a better life—fought tirelessly for me. My passionate mother refused to accept “we’ll just monitor it” as an answer and pushed for second, third, and even fourth opinions. But time and time again, I watched doctors dismiss my parents because of their broken English.

In the end, every road led to the same destination: another medication. And the more prescriptions I was given, the sicker I became.

The Breaking Point

At 15 years old, my body had enough. What was supposed to be a simple appendectomy turned into a nightmare when doctors discovered my appendix was fine—but my body was shutting down.

I spent 28 days in the ICU. My lungs couldn’t breathe on their own, so I was put on a ventilator. My kidneys failed, so I was placed on dialysis. When they gave me morphine for the pain, I had a severe allergic reaction and had to be switched to a fentanyl drip. My pancreas couldn’t produce the enzymes needed to digest food, so I wasn’t allowed to eat.

I went from being an athletic elite soccer player to skin and bones, unrecognizable even to myself. Test after test came back “normal,” but nothing felt normal about what I was going through. My body felt like it was fighting against me. I sank into hopelessness and depression, believing I would never find answers.

But God had a bigger plan for me.

God’s Answer Through Chiropractic

It wasn’t until I met a nervous system–focused chiropractor that everything changed. To be honest, I was skeptical. After all, I had seen the top specialists in Canada, and none of them had helped me. Surely a chiropractor wasn’t the answer.

But God used that doctor to completely redirect my life. Within six months of consistent chiropractic care, I was off all of my medications. My body was healing. My hope was being restored. I was getting my life back.

I realized then that God doesn’t make mistakes—He designed our bodies beautifully and wonderfully made, and He placed within us everything we need to heal. Chiropractic doesn’t add anything new; it simply clears the way for God’s design to shine through.

That revelation lit a fire in me. I knew I was called to become a chiropractor.

From Patient to Doctor

I pursued my undergraduate studies at Life University and then earned my Doctor of Chiropractic degree at Life West in California. From the very beginning, my mission has been clear: to bring God’s truth about health to kids and families who feel broken, hopeless, and lost in the medical system—just like I once did.

A Calling to Kids + Families

During my hospital stays, I remember going to “social hours” where sick kids gathered with their IV bags and wheelchairs. It was the only time I felt normal, surrounded by others who were fighting battles like mine. But I often wonder: how many of those kids made it? How many could have healed if they had found a nervous system–focused chiropractor?

There are far too many children today who feel hopeless, believing their bodies are broken. But the truth is—God doesn’t make mistakes. He created our bodies with an incredible ability to heal, and sometimes all it takes is removing the interference that’s been standing in the way.

Now, as a chiropractor, I get to be that reminder for families. Every adjustment, every story of healing, every child getting their life back—it’s all part of the calling God placed on my life.

This is more than a career for me. It’s my ministry, my mission, and my promise: to fight for kids and families so they can live the full, abundant life God designed for them.