Vanessa Abraham

SLP/Author/Mom/Business Owner/ICU Survivor/PICS Advocate

Vanessa is a certified speech pathologist, author, and passionate advocate with over 15 years of experience in helping individuals overcome speech and language disabilities. After facing her own medical journey that left her with upper body paralysis and unable to speak or safely swallow food, she required augmentative communication devices to communicate and underwent months of intensive physical, voice and swallowing therapy as part of her recovery. This experience, combined with her time as a patient in the ICU, gave her a unique perspective on the field of speech therapy and deepened her understanding of the challenges patients face in regaining these vital functions.

Vanessa combines professional expertise with the invaluable insight of having been a patient. Her personal experience—has made her a compassionate and empathetic therapist, one who truly understands the physical, emotional, and psychological complexities of recovery. She now runs a business focused on helping others heal from neurological disorders using innovative therapies, including direct current electrical stimulation through a device called the Neubie. This cutting-edge technology is designed to help stimulate the nervous system and accelerate recovery.

Vanessa is also an author who shares her insights and personal journey to inspire others facing similar challenges in her book SPEECHLESS: How a Speech Therapist Lost Her Ability to Speak and Her Silent Struggle to Reclaim Her Voice and Life. Her writing emphasizes the fear and emotional toll associated with not being able to communicate in the ICU, shedding light on the deep sense of isolation and frustration that many patients experience. She advocates for the importance of effective communication tools and patient-centered care in these critical moments, highlighting the emotional impact of losing the ability to speak.

Vanessa is also a dedicated advocate for Post Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS), working to raise awareness about the long-term physical, cognitive, and emotional effects experienced by patients following critical illness and intensive care. She is also an outspoken advocate for the need for better communication aids in the hospital setting, ensuring that patients who are unable to speak have access to tools that allow them to communicate effectively with their caregivers. Through her advocacy, Vanessa is committed to improving the recovery process for ICU survivors, highlighting the need for comprehensive rehabilitation plans that restore not only physical health but also overall quality of life.