The Calling of a Healer: My Journey to Tamana Wellness Center

From the moment I was born, my life was set against the backdrop of struggle and hope, challenge and transformation. At just two years old, I faced the polio outbreak that would reshape my childhood. My memories of those four years at Princess Elizabeth Home for Disabled Children are fleeting, but the echoes of that time are undeniable. My mother was the only one allowed to visit me—a solitary figure of love and comfort in a world I barely understood. She later told me I learned to speak in that place, but walking would take years of therapy.

As I grew, I battled more than just the effects of polio. I carried the weight of a stammering tongue. Words came slowly, haltingly, and each misstep left me feeling embarrassed and small. One night, desperate to speak freely like other children, I prayed: “God, if you are real, heal my stammering tongue.” And then, as quietly as it had come, it was gone. I never knew the moment my prayer was answered, but it was, and I could finally speak without fear.

In my late teens and 20s, I found purpose in the church. I became a Sunday School teacher, a youth leader, and even preached sometimes at Sunday services and tent crusades. People sought me out for prayers, trusting me to intercede for their sick and troubled loved ones. Once, when a pastor couldn’t officiate a funeral, I performed the last rites—a moment that felt deeply sacred despite the weight of grief surrounding it.

But even as I rose within the church, a silent rebellion stirred within me. I saw cracks in the religious systems, rigid walls that often shut out the very compassion and authenticity I believed in. In my early 30s, I stepped away from organized religion, yearning for a deeper, freer connection to the divine.

That connection came in the form of visions. One evening, as the day dissolved into night, I heard a name: Maya. In my vision, I was told she would be with me always, as a blessing and guide. Who or what Maya was, remained a mystery, but I felt her presence in quiet moments and when life presented its deepest challenges.

Through the years, dreams and symbols have visited me as if woven into my very essence. Swimming up the Amazon River, only to be caught in a fisherman’s net. Drawing symbols in the sand and flying through vast skies. A brilliant yellow flower with a black seed at its center. These visions seemed to hold answers I wasn’t yet ready to understand.

The most difficult lessons, however, were not in dreams, but in loss. Over time, I’ve buried the closest people in my life. These moments of grief tested my faith and my resolve, but they also planted a seed—a seed of healing and purpose that has now grown into the Tamana Wellness Center.

Tamana is more than a place; it’s an offering, a culmination of my experiences, pain, and love. It’s the manifestation of a lifelong calling, a place to help others heal, find balance, and reconnect with themselves and the world. The center isn’t just about wellness; it’s about reclaiming wholeness and embracing life’s natural rhythms.

Looking back, every struggle feels like preparation. The prayers whispered as a child, the dreams that haunted my sleep, the sermons delivered to inspire others, and the losses endured were all shaping me into who I was always meant to be—a healer, a guide, a bridge for others seeking peace.

Am I called to be a high priest for this time? Perhaps. But titles matter less than the work itself. My life has always been about connection, compassion, and creating spaces for healing—whether through a sermon, a prayer, or a simple cup of coffee shared over tears and laughter.

The Tamana Wellness Center is not just my journey; it’s a journey for everyone who walks through its doors. It’s where the pain of my past meets the promise of a better future for others. It’s where we can embrace loss, celebrate life, and reconnect with our shared humanity.

So yes, I believe the universe has called me—and all of us—to something greater. Tamana is simply the answer I’ve chosen to offer, a sacred space to heal, grow, and rediscover the light within us all.