Is it possible for one person to beat the odds in astonishing ways, while living in hell on earth from despair, yet overcoming adversity by experiencing God’s healing power, mercy, and sense of humor? Unbelievable, except by God’s plan, I’ve led a remarkable life. Others frequently say, “I can’t believe you! What are the chances?”

At age twenty-eight, my carefree life turned tragic after my dad’s violent death, shattering me. My physical and emotional health quickly deteriorated, requiring dozens of doctors from across the country to care for me, culminating in over fifty surgeries from head to toe. At one-point, trailblazing physicians injected me with experimental doses of ketamine, also known as the street drug “Special K,” to save my life. I tried to give up more than once, but God gave me just enough hope to keep going.

On 9/11, as a civilian for the US Navy, I witnessed the nightmarish terrorist attack on the Pentagon. I could have been trapped inside if an event or a meeting had taken me to the building that day. Instead, I watched in horror from across the street, less than a tenth of a mile away, as the burning Pentagon’s pitch-black smoke filled the sky amid warplanes and helicopters. My colleagues and I sheltered in Arlington National Cemetery.

Destined to be a fashion designer since age eighteen, I obeyed God as He unveiled alternate plans. After several career and educational changes, I found myself in a coveted position at the Pentagon, serving as Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld’s personal media outreach director. Beyond anything I could have imagined, I represented Secretary Rumsfeld and escorted reporters to the murky front lines of an active war zone in Iraq with no formal military training.

Retiring from the Pentagon prematurely due to catastrophic health issues, including bilateral jaw joint replacement surgeries, chronic pain, post-traumatic stress disorder, and severe depression, I found myself at home recuperating in front of the television for years in between treatments. That’s when I fell in love with Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb, co-hosts of the 4th hour of NBC’s Today Show. I was chosen “Fan of the Week,” and won an all-expense paid trip to Jamaica for two while competing with hundreds of other fans. God knew I needed a breather.

God blessed me with unlikely experiences that rocked my world. I spent time with people I would have never met like singer and songwriter Barry Manilow; author, actress, and television personality Kathie Lee Gifford; Today Show cohosts Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager; US Senate Chaplain Dr. Barry C. Black; and radio personality G. Gordon Liddy of the Watergate scandal in 1972. They are all an integral part of my story.

After all I’ve been through, I think I’ve learned some tips to help others. I offer survival tactics if you will—to help readers get through their own “What are the chances?”

A Faith-Led Journey of Hope, Healing, and Hell on Earth

What Are The Chances?

Book Release Coming Soon!