Speaking
At seventeen years old, Ruthie Lindsey was hit by an ambulance outside a gas station in rural Louisiana. She broke her neck, punctured her lungs, and ruptured her spleen, leaving her with a 5% chance of survival and 1% chance of ever walking again. A month later, Ruthie miraculously walked out of the hospital after doctors performed a spinal cord fusion using wire that both saved and destroyed her body.
Years later, a wire from her previous spinal surgery broke and pierced her brain stem, slowly pulling her away from everything she once held dear: her marriage, her faith, her family, her body, her very self.
Ruthie shares a remarkable story of surviving the accident that nearly paralyzed her as a teenager and her subsequent battle as a young woman with chronic pain and dependency. Her story is one of strength and resilience, the faith she lost and rebuilt in herself, and the power of sharing our stories. Ruthie challenges audiences to find the healing that is inside all of us.
She has spoken alongside renowned activists and writers such as Brené Brown, Glennon Doyle, and Rachel Hollis at events including Together Live, BlogHer, and Rise.
EXPERTISE IN:
Personal Growth and Achievement
Overcoming Obstacles and Challenges
Motivation and Inspiration
Health and Wellness
AUDIENCE AND INDUSTRY:
Healthcare
Mental Health
Chronic Pain
Colleges and Universities
Non-Profit
Women’s Events
Faith-Based
SPEECH TOPICS:
A Journey From Hopelessness to Healing
THEME: Resilience / Embracing Change / Transformation
Only a few years after the accident that nearly took her life, Ruthie was newly married and settling into adulthood until a simple turn of her head left her body riddled with chronic pain. Her case confounded medical professionals and the only solution seemed to be numbing the intense pain. In the months that followed, she became dependent on narcotic painkillers, struggled with depression, and was bedridden.
After dozens of visits to specialists and surgeons, a doctor discovered that the wire holding her neck together was piercing her brain stem. Without another surgery, she would be paralyzed. As she prepared for the procedure, her father passed away suddenly, her marriage began to collapse, and she surrendered her spirit to dependency and suffering. The surgery repaired her spine but she still felt broken, inside and out, until she chose to change her narrative.
We all face setbacks, but finding the resilience to embrace and overcome difficult life events is critical. Ruthie’s story is one that inspires hope and shows others there can be purpose in pain. She teaches audiences how to reframe their thinking and embrace resilience amidst hardship in order to transform their lives.
Healing is Within All of Us
THEME: Wellness & Wellbeing / Healing / Mindfulness / Mental Health
When the wire holding her neck together pierced her brain stem, Ruthie was left with debilitating pain. Desperate to get better, she turned to every healing modality she could try, but with no results. After having an extremely high-risk surgery to repair the damage, she was grateful to not be paralyzed, but was far from healed.
Ruthie felt broken. Her life was falling apart and she suffered a nervous breakdown. If she was going to get better, she knew she had to change her approach. So she decided to wean herself off the narcotics she had become dependent on and focused on looking within herself.
The more we heal ourselves, the better we can mirror the healing that is within everyone. Self-healing allows us to exist in the world as compassionate, full beings, but this can only happen once we do the inner work. Ruthie leaves audiences with the encouragement that healing is possible and it's within them. She shares her extensive wisdom of healing practices and encourages people to weave them into their own personal routines.
Managing Pain: A Lifelong Journey
THEME: Chronic Pain
In her early twenties, when a sudden turn of her neck left her with debilitating chronic pain resulting from a previous spinal cord surgery, Ruthie’s life was turned upside down. None of the therapies she tried helped, leaving her feeling hopeless, scared, and broken. She wondered if she would continue to hurt every second.
After she realized her pain would be with her forever, she retreated to her bed. As her life fell apart, she had a nervous breakdown. She understood that if she didn’t choose to drastically change her life, this would be the end.
Because she was leading her life with her pain, that’s how people saw her. But as soon as she recognized that pain can be purposeful, everything changed. Ruthie’s story of rising from the suffering will inspire audiences to recognize that life is full and beautiful because of their pain, not despite it, and that everyone has healing within them.
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