In this powerful episode of Prevailing Through Pain, Karen Cherry Brown talks with Patrick LeBlanc about the hidden weight of leadership, the reality of mental health struggles, and the journey from silent suffering to purposeful healing. As Executive Director of Bridging the Gap, Patrick shares how his own story of trauma, depression, faith, and recovery led him to help others access culturally competent mental health support. This conversation is raw, honest, and full of hope for anyone carrying pain behind the mask.

In this moving episode of Prevailing Through Pain, host Karen Cherry Brown sits down with Tasha Wesley—a sterile processing (SPD) manager in the Dallas–Fort Worth area—whose story begins in survival and blossoms into strength, leadership, and faith.

Tasha opens up about growing up without emotional safety, navigating domestic violence in her home, becoming pregnant as a teen, and being thrust into adult responsibilities far too early. She shares how motherhood matured her, why she chose a fresh start in Texas, and how discovering sterile processing gave her a purpose-driven career supporting safe surgery from behind the scenes.

Inside the industry, Tasha talks candidly about:

Why SPD is the starting point of patient safety (not “just sterilizing instruments”)

Educating the public and clinical teams on reprocessing standards

Transitioning from tech to leader—and setting boundaries when peers become direct reports

Raising a son and daughter with love and accountability (not coddling), and breaking generational cycles

The role of faith (the Book of Job) in enduring trials and finding the purpose in pain

Whether you’re an SPD professional, a healthcare leader, or someone pushing through a hard season, Tasha’s journey will remind you that the pain you’re facing can become the pathway to your purpose.

Highlights:

Surviving chaos and finding emotional safety

Teen pregnancy, hard choices, and starting over

Choosing sterile processing over surgical tech—and never looking back

Leadership lessons: professionalism, friendships at work, and “non-negotiables”

Encouragement for young moms and anyone fighting to change their story

If this helped you, please like, comment, and subscribe. Share this with someone who needs the reminder: what you don’t change, you’re choosing—and you can choose differently today.

#PrevailingThroughPain #SterileProcessing #SPD #HealthcareLeadership #Resilience #DomesticViolenceSurvivor #Faith #DallasFortWorth #WomenInHealthcare #PatientSafety

In this powerful episode of Prevailing Through Pain, host Karen Cherry Brown sits down with Michele Gomez Lafal — nurse, entrepreneur, and founder of Absolute Allied Health Academy.

Michele opens up about her childhood in Compton, growing up with parents battling addiction, and how those early struggles shaped her resilience. She shares her experience as a young mother facing misdiagnosis, domestic violence, and financial hardship — and how those painful seasons became the foundation for her career in nursing and, ultimately, her decision to build her own health academy.

Her story is one of perseverance, faith, and purpose. From working at a fish market as a teenager to creating her own “seat at the table” in healthcare education, Michele proves that no season of pain is wasted.

Learn more about Absolute Allied Health Academy: 402 W. Wheatland Rd, Suite 180, Duncanville, TX

Programs include Medical Assistant, Phlebotomy Tech, EKG Tech, Patient Care Tech, and more.

Watch now and be inspired to keep pushing through your own seasons of struggle — because your testimony might be the breakthrough someone else needs.

#PrevailingThroughPain #Perseverance #HealthcareLeadership #FaithAndResilience