Hi, I’m Danielle and I write about the truths we think but rarely speak.

Why subscribe?

On February 4, 2024, I became a mother. Hours later, I lost my kidneys due to complications. What followed was a crash course in chronic illness, medical uncertainty, and rebuilding identity when your body rewrites the plan.

This newsletter is where I process that experience in real time—and invite you into the questions it raises.

What You'll Find Here

This is a space exploring chronic illness, motherhood, medical gaslighting, identity, and the raw realities of living in a body that doesn’t cooperate. I write about kidney disease and the gap between what we’re told illness should teach us and what it actually feels like to live through it.

When you subscribe, you’ll find essays that are:

• Honest and unflinching about the hard parts of chronic illness and life in general

• Specific and personal (my story of kidney failure, failed transplant, and what came after)

• Universal in theme (identity, grief, acceptance, justice, love, uncertainty)

While my experience involves kidney disease, the questions I’m exploring apply to anyone navigating loss, change, or the gap between who you were and who you’re becoming.

I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), former career counselor, and author of The Inner Compass Process. I spent fifteen years helping others find direction. Now I’m the one without a map—and writing about what that feels like.

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Consider a paid subscription

Your support makes this work possible. Paid subscribers get:

• A special thank you at the bottom of my next published post

• Exclusive memoir chapters as I draft my book

• Behind-the-scenes updates on the writing process

• My deep gratitude (truly—your support means everything)

Even on the hard weeks, knowing you’re reading keeps me writing.

Drop a comment…

Your comments are what drive me! If something in a post resonates with you, or if you'd like to respond personally, I do my very best to reply. I'd love to hear from you!