With all my heart, Yvette Marie Ancira

"In June 2020, I was admitted to Seton Hospital in Austin with COVID. Just three days later, I was intubated and placed in an induced coma. When I finally woke up in September, I had a trach, an ECMO tube in my neck, a feeding tube up my nose—and I couldn’t speak. That's when I was told my vocal cords were paralyzed. My world felt silent and broken. But then, Moira came into my life. Moira, my speech therapist, was nothing short of a godsend. With unwavering patience, compassion, and determination, she visited me what felt like every single day. She worked tirelessly to help me regain my ability to communicate, teaching me how to use my trach valve to talk. More importantly, she listened. She made space for my fears, my anxieties, and my heartbreak, and she gave me hope when I needed it most. I'll never forget the swallow tests. Failing them twice left me feeling utterly defeated. But on the third try, I passed! I still remember a nurse asking me where Moira had gone after the test. When I shrugged, she smiled and told me, "Oh wait, she's running up and down the hallway screaming with joy because you can eat!" That moment perfectly captured who Moira is—not just a professional, but someone who genuinely celebrates her patients' victories as if they were her own. Moira gave me back my voice, both literally and emotionally. I will forever be grateful for the strength, encouragement, and kindness she showed me during one of the darkest times of my life.”