Jeanie Brookbanks-Smith

My name is Jeanie Brookbanks-Smith. I am a registered nurse, Board-Certified Nurse Coach, speaker, endurance athlete, wife, and mother of three daughters.

For 33 years, I have cared for patients and families during some of the most difficult moments of their lives. In 2021, I suddenly found myself on the other side of the bedrail.

Blood clots caused acute liver failure, leading to emergency surgery, multiple ICU stays, sepsis, and kidney complications. I was told I would likely need a liver transplant in the future. Soon after leaving the hospital, I was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer and learned that a bone marrow transplant might also be needed someday.

My recovery became about more than physical healing. I had to learn how to calm and reset my nervous system, work through fear-based thoughts, and use mindset and neuroplasticity to build healthier patterns. As someone who has completed three marathons and more than 30 triathlons, movement has always been part of my life. Returning to exercise reminded me that resilience is often built one small step at a time.

My experience inspired me to create Life After Diagnosis and my Inner Resilience Coaching. Today, I help people living with chronic illness and life-changing diagnoses rebuild self-trust, calm their nervous systems, and move forward with greater confidence.

I coach from both sides of the bedrail—as a nurse and as a patient who understands how quickly life can change.