Hi there! My name is Whitney Mackey and I want to share with you a little about myself as we embark on this journey together. I currently live in Texas, but am a California girl at heart. I have an unbelievable support system that I am so thankful for and truly wouldn’t survive without the people in my life. My parents and siblings each play a vital role in my journey. They have given me all of their love and they have supported me through the good, bad and the ugly…and believe me sometimes it has gotten really ugly. Along side my family, I have a church family that truly loves me and has shown me so much kindness. The people in the church are some of the best people you will ever meet, and it is incredible that I have people praying for me all over then country. I also have a best friend. A best friend that flies across the country to help me, and has sat in the hospital with me for multiple days as I recovered from surgery. Now let’s talk about the boy that takes up my whole heart…my precious nephew. Let me tell you, he has changed my entire life. As soon as he was born, I realized I had to fight both mentally and physically to be the ‘Auntie Whit” I want to be with him. I realized that I had to get better- for him.

Before my car accident, I had a whole plan for my life. I knew exactly where I wanted to be at each age of my life, and for a while I was right on track. Growing up I played very competitive softball and volleyball. My club volleyball team went to the Junior Olympics and we got third place in the nation. I pushed myself physically and athletically and I thrived off of the competition. During high school, I also was determined to be a good student. It didn’t matter how exhausted I was from athletics, I would study until 3 AM if that is what it took. I loved being busy and I loved the competition.

Once I moved to Texas for college, I finished my undergraduate degree at the University of North Texas in three years. During my second to last semester, I was in a terrible car accident. I was in terrible shape physically and everyone could see it- my professors, my friends, my coworkers and my family. I tried pushing through it, but for the first time in my life I realized I could not compete against a failing body.

As soon as I got out of my car after the accident, I started bawling. I was crying because of the severe pain I was in, but also because I could tell something was very wrong with my body. All of my hopes and dreams vanished in an instant. No matter how hard I have pushed, I have failed to achieve my dreams and meet my goals.

The past six years of my life I have dealt with some enormous health issues. I am no where near healed. I have doctors that do not know how to help me. I have had doctors turn me away because my case is “too complex.” I often isolate myself because I feel like people really don’t get it, and at some points I have wanted to stop searching for answers about my health and just accept that this is my fate for the rest of my life.

If you are still reading this, you may be in a very similar place physically and emotionally as me. As we go through this journey together, I will share about my life the day of the accident and take you through the journey of my life each day after that. Being vulnerable and open is something I have always really struggled with. If you were to ask my closest friends and family, they would tell you until very recently, I would just smile and say that I am fine when people would ask me how I am because I do not like being a burden or being perceived as weak. Well, that method isn’t working anymore. So, I am going to force myself to be vulnerable, because I have learned keeping it on the inside does not help. Pretending you are okay gets you no where.

The reason I am creating this blog is to give purpose behind my pain and suffering. I know for a fact that there are other people out there really struggling. The goal of this blog is help ONE person. That is my only goal. If I can help one person, then I would consider this a success.

I hope you will go on this journey with me.

Love,

Whitney