Private Chef, Writer & Podcaster
A reader from Europe recently scolded me about the “slice-and-dice” American medical system—but as someone living with sarcoidosis, heart failure, and a knack for collecting diagnoses like airline miles, aggressive treatment is the reason I’m still breathing. Here’s what really happened, why “wait and see” nearly destroyed someone else’s life, and why I’ll take over-tested over overlooked any day.
Back in 2010, a simple walk with my dog turned into a two-minute dance with death when my heart went into fibrillation. Thanks to my implanted defibrillator, I lived to tell the story—and to learn what it means to actually listen to my body when it decides to go rogue.
In 2007, a routine heart procedure turned into a life-changing diagnosis: heart failure. Eighteen years later, I’m still here—living with sarcoidosis, a defibrillator in my chest, and the constant awareness that my next heartbeat might depend on a tiny piece of metal and code. This is what surviving with an AICD really feels like—equal parts miracle, nuisance, and reminder to keep going.
Can a Holocaust novel be breathtakingly beautiful? Mitch Albom’s The Little Liar proves it can. This gripping story of a Greek-Jewish family’s fate during the Holocaust, narrated by Truth itself, peels back the layers of lies, love, betrayal, and survival in ways that feel gut-wrenching and gorgeously human. If you love historical fiction with emotional depth and prose that reads like poetry, this one’s for you.
At sixteen, a quiet walk home turned into the scariest night of my life — and the moment I found the fighter hiding inside me. What began as terror became transformation, proving that courage doesn’t wait for permission. This is the story of how I went from frozen in fear to running on pure fire.
Tate Basildon 