Meet Tanisha Burke-Wormley

 

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Tanisha Burke-Wormley . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Tanisha , really appreciate you opening up about a very personal topic with the hopes that it can help someone out there who might be going through it. What can you share with us about your journey with postpartum depression and how you overcame PPD? For readers, please note this is not medical advice, we are not doctors, you should always consult professionals for advice and that this is merely one person sharing their story and experience.

I overcame Postpartum Depression in many ways within a 6 year timespan as I never knew what this term meant until I became a Medical Mom of NICU. My oldest son, Jaleel, endured 6 months in 2 NICUs, had over 21+ surgeries, 2 years of dialysis, a kidney transplant, and fought cancer.

I lost my “sense of self,” as I had to make countless lifesaving decisions to help my oldest child overcome medical challenges with Kidney Disease and Cancer. I had limited time to gather my own thoughts and indulge in my own selfcare as a caregiver + mother of 3 under 6, which made me very depressed within my first 4 years of being a mother.

After, my oldest son’s health was more medically stable I recommitted my life to Christ and became an active member in the Church of Christ. I interacted with Christian Sisters as well as interacted with NICU Moms on social media to build community. I also created my own Medical Momunity on Facebook “Medical Moms of NICU” to help to support NICU Moms, Life After NICU Moms, and NICU Moms of Medically-Complexed Miracles. Recently, I also welcomed perinatal therapy to process the medical trauma, miscarriages, and even deaths in my immediate family. My husband also encouraged me to write about Jaleel’s journey to help me heal and find purpose beyond the pain. During the pandemic, I collaborated with a phenomenal illustrator to publish my first children’s book “TKO CKD: My Fight to Live (Round 1)” available on medicalmomsofnicu.com

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

In 2017, I enrolled at the University of Arkansas- Little Rock pursuing my Master’s in Communications while pregnant as a first-time mom. 20 weeks pregnant, I was told my unborn son would not live outside the womb because of this rare condition called, “Lower Urinary Tract Obstruction,” which affects lungs, kidney, and bladder function for the fetus because of a blockage in the urinary tract. I felt completely devastated as I was preparing for decorating a nursery and celebrating my first baby shower. This heartdropping news also made me super uncertain whether I could complete my master’s program. My husband asked the doctor whether fetal care intervention was available to help us. We found out later that week Cincinnati Children’s Hospital would be willing do as much fetal care intervention as possible to save our son Jaleel. My husband & I would temporarily have to relocate from Arkansas to Ohio for medical intervention.

At the time, my professors were flexible to accommodate me with flexible deadlines to finish my degree. Once Jaleel was medically stable outside of the NICU, my professors encouraged me to develop a professional project online. In 2019, this professional project was called, “Medical Moms of NICU,” on Facebook to help NICU Moms navigate the medical system with ease by sharing Medical Mom Tips, NICU Resources, and NICU stories. After graduation, I transformed Medical Moms of NICU into a professional website that showcases NICU resources, Medical Moms of NICU Podcast, postpartum support consultations, and my first book “TKO CKD: My Fight To Live (Round 1).”

I never thought my college project in the most stressful time in my life would transform into a brand to help serve NICU Moms worldwide. I remember advocating for my son’s life in the NICU, and in my limited downtime studying for my Master’s on Blackboard at the Ronald McDonald House. God truly was transforming my pain into purpose.

For those who feel like the broken pieces of their life can’t be used as inspiration, a new product, service, and nonprofit in the future I would love for you to visit medicalmomsofnicu.com

I love how God transformed my struggles with Postpartum Depression into a service to support and consult Medical Moms of NICU, and support speaking engagements including Moments of Joy Fest created by Camille Joy Robinson, and sharing Jaleel’s story on Every Mother Counts, Make-A-Wish Foundation, American Transplant Foundation, and Ronald McDonald House to provide hope to the hopeless and inspiration in this chronic illness medical marathon. These moments make me appreciate my Medical Mom of NICU struggles as it eventually would build me up spiritually and make me more aware of what medical resources can help in this journey of caregiving.

I welcome readers to visit medicalmomsofnicu.com to find support in navigating the medical system. I welcome readers to purchase tickets for Moments of Joy Fest mojfest.com in Houston, TX July 13th 2024 as we will be celebrating and supporting the special needs community.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Three qualities that impacted me in the medical trauma journey was my ability to be transparent, resourceful, and tap into online community early in the midst of my medical trauma. I shared how hurt I was facing challenges as a NICU Mom on social media in real time. This is not common as social media often only shows the good parts of our lives. I honestly shared my struggles with the world while they were happening. In return, I was blessed with NICU resources from nonprofits, friends and family support, and also collaborated with the care team on the best method of care for Jaleel.

My ability to face my fears by asking questions with my husband to the care team about Jaleel’s medical diagnoses helped me to develop knowledge and medical confidence that I did not possess before. Now, I can talk to any NICU Mom and relate to her because of my diverse medical trauma background, caregiving experience, and support her mentally because of my own personal postpartum struggles.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

I would love to partner with Children’s Hospitals, Dialysis Centers, and Maternal Health Nonprofits to invest into bulk orders for “TKO CKD: My Fight To Live (Round 1),” a inspirational children’s book spreading awareness for children fighting Chronic Kidney Disease and celebrating Chronic Illness Champions worldwide. I’m also looking for NICU Moms, Medical Experts, and Nonprofits supporting Maternal Health to be featured as guests on Medical Moms of NICU podcast. I welcome speaking engagement opportunities that support NICU families, caregiving, and Mental Health.

Check out medicalmomsofnicu.com for further collaboration opportunities.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Family Photos by Ebony Blevins

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