"Grace of God": Misdiagnosed Woman Heals Her Brain Damage and Loses 200 Pounds—Doctors Are Stunned by Her Secret

Donna Roe, a former therapist and teacher nearing 60, healed her brain damage by adopting a ketogenic diet and practicing intermittent fasting. After years of battling severe cognitive decline, confusion, and seizures, she transformed her life, losing 160 pounds and reclaiming her mental clarity. Now, Donna dedicates her life to helping others facing similar health challenges, offering guidance on nutrition, mental health, and recovery.

“I changed my life,” Donna said. “I do yoga, I meditate, I follow clinical research on brain health—this is what healed me.”

A Once-Normal Life

Before her health declined, Donna led a fulfilling life as a hardworking therapist and educator. She held a bachelor’s degree and was working toward her PhD in occupational therapy while passionately helping others. However, in 2013, subtle cognitive issues began to creep in. “I just started to have moments of confusion,” Donna recalled. “I was more and more depressed and anxious until finally, my son found me on the bathroom floor.” That day marked the beginning of a harrowing journey that saw Donna lose her job, her home, and nearly her life.

Misdiagnosed and Dismissed

Donna’s symptoms worsened quickly, but doctors couldn’t explain her condition. Her initial episode was dismissed as a “one-off seizure,” and follow-up MRIs and CAT scans showed no abnormalities. Despite her background in healthcare, Donna was left confused and unsupported by the medical system. “My neurologist said, ‘It’s probably just a one-off seizure.’ I believed him,” she said.

To cope with the worsening symptoms, her primary care doctor prescribed antidepressants and sleep medication, assuming her issues stemmed from anxiety and depression. However, this misdiagnosis delayed Donna’s access to the care she truly needed.

A Steady Decline

Over the next two years, Donna’s health spiraled downward. “I began to slowly decline, and it took about two years to get to a point where I couldn’t work anymore,” she said. Increasingly disoriented, Donna struggled with severe headaches, memory loss, and confusion. “I started not being able to find my way home,” she explained. “The same home I’d lived in for 20-plus years.”

Her health affected her relationships as well. Her husband couldn’t understand her behavior, eventually suspecting she was using drugs or alcohol. “He thought I was drinking or doing some illicit drug, and I was not,” she remembered. Strained by the misunderstanding, Donna’s marriage fell apart, and her husband left. The cognitive episodes became so severe that she could no longer maintain her professional life and was eventually fired from her job.

Losing Everything

As her cognitive issues worsened, Donna found herself in increasingly desperate situations. She ended up in court twice, facing accusations that only added to her suffering. “I was in court in front of a judge, looking like a homeless person,” she recalled. “The judge was convinced that I was either a drug abuser or severely mentally impaired.” Donna’s disorientation and erratic behavior led the judge to order immediate drug testing, which came back negative, but her reputation suffered. “I was ordered to get a psychological evaluation,” she said, “and I had to see a probation officer.”

In 2019, after years of misdiagnoses and personal devastation, Donna finally received a conclusive diagnosis. “They found brain damage. Both frontal lobes had a lot of scar tissue on them, causing swelling, and that was causing my cognitive impairments,” she explained. With no medical insurance and no support, Donna was left to cope with her condition alone. This led her to attempt suicide twice. “I just couldn’t live in that horror,” she confessed. “I thought I was a burden to everyone.”

A Life-Saving Discovery

It was a stroke of fate that turned things around. “One night, after a particularly bad seizure, I woke up after two days in bed and felt a little clearer,” she remembered. The fog she had been living in started to lift, albeit slowly. Donna realized that her symptoms improved when she didn’t eat, which led her to research diet and cognitive function. This is how she stumbled upon the ketogenic diet, a high-fat, low-carb diet often used to manage epilepsy in children.

“I thought, well, maybe I can try this. Maybe it’ll help my headaches and stop what was happening,” she explained. With her son’s help, she started following the keto diet, cutting out sugar and focusing on whole foods. “It took about two months, but I started to feel better.”

Healing Through Diet and Lifestyle

The improvement in Donna’s health was gradual but profound. Her cognitive clarity returned, her energy improved, and the seizures started to decrease. “I wasn’t cured overnight, but slowly, things began to change,” she said. Though she continued to face financial struggles and could barely afford food, Donna persisted with her dietary changes. “I was desperate, but I knew I had to do something.”

By 2024, Donna had lost 160 pounds, stabilized her seizures, and regained her cognitive function. But the most astounding discovery came during a follow-up EEG, which showed no signs of the brain damage diagnosed in 2019.

Disbelief and Frustration

When her doctor finally called her with the results, Donna was in shock. “They said, ‘We have your results, and you’re fine. There’s no problem at all,’” she recalled. Her disbelief was immediate. “I said, ‘No, I have brain damage in my temporal lobes. I know as a therapist and as a science teacher that you can’t heal brain damage—that does not heal, right? At least from anything I’d ever known.’” But the doctor insisted, saying, “Nope, you’re fine. You don’t have anything wrong.”

Overwhelmed, Donna began questioning herself. “I thought, am I crazy? I think it’s me,” she remembered, feeling the familiar weight of confusion and doubt return. Determined to verify the results, Donna reached out to her former neurologist’s office to retrieve her 2019 records. “I told them, ‘You don’t know me, but I was diagnosed with temporal lobe scarring in 2019,’” she explained. The staff confirmed her diagnosis, saying, “Oh yeah, we’ve got your records right here.”

Donna asked them to send her records to her current doctor. When they did, her current doctor suggested a closer look, but Donna had lost trust in the system. “I said, ‘No, I’m going with this neurologist. If they won’t take my word for it as a patient, I’m not going to continue with them.’”

Realization and Acceptance

After returning home, Donna broke down in tears. “My boyfriend asked, ‘What’s wrong?’ I said, ‘People think I’m crazy. What’s wrong with me?’” she recalls, emotionally exhausted. Her boyfriend, however, reminded her of the lifestyle overhaul she had undertaken. “‘It’s not you. You changed your life,’ he said. ‘You changed your diet, your physical activity, your mindset. You do yoga and meditate. You’re happier now.’” His words began to resonate, and Donna started to recognize her own transformation.

“I thought, he’s right. I’ve lost 160 pounds, I’ve completely changed my diet and mindset, and I do everything that clinicians recommend for brain health,” she reflects, finally allowing herself to accept that her efforts might have truly healed her.

A New Mission to Help Others

Today, Donna dedicates her life to helping others facing similar struggles. She teaches classes at her local community center, offering support to those dealing with mental health issues, cognitive decline, or other health challenges. Reflecting on her journey, Donna believes her survival serves a greater purpose. “The only reason I think I'm alive is so I can help people who have mental illness, either cognitive decline, maybe a seizure disorder, I don’t know, and are terribly unhealthy,” she says. “I can champion them by sharing my story and hopefully giving them the confidence and the realization that it’s in their control. It’s not out of their control. Nobody’s going to come to save you. You need to save yourself, and people like me are here to help remind you that you can.”

Donna is committed to offering a lifeline to those who feel lost or hopeless. “I will talk to anybody who feels like they shouldn’t be here and remind them, you’re here for a reason,” she says earnestly. “I felt like I shouldn’t be here. I still sometimes feel like that, but I’m no longer suicidal about it because I think my experience will help others realize that they have a reason to be here.”

Donna’s message is one of hope and empowerment. “My message is: no matter how deep, dark it is, there is a crack somewhere shining a light, and you can find it. It comes from within you,” she says.

For those struggling with mental health or cognitive issues, Donna encourages them to start by examining their diet. “I went keto, then carnivore, and it cleared my brain enough for me to think again. Once you have clarity, everything else falls into place,” she advises.

A Journey of Self-Healing

Though her journey has been long and difficult, Donna’s story is a testament to the power of self-healing. “I know who my true friends are now,” she says. “If I can climb out of this horror, anyone can.”

Donna continues to research brain health and diet, applying the latest scientific studies to her work and her own life. She has become a source of strength and support for others, using her personal experience as proof that healing is possible—even when it seems out of reach.

“If I can do it, anyone can,” she says. “We just need to help each other.”