I'm not sure how many people have sat with a doctor and heard that they probably wouldn't live past high school—but I have. And here I am…Today, I'm a wife to Zack and a mama to our two beautiful kids, David and River. Every day is a reminder of God's faithfulness—because I was never expected to make it this far.

TIA LUCIA WALTER

What they didn't account for was God.

By age five, doctors discovered the root cause: Common Variable Immune Deficiency — a rare autoimmune disorder that prevents the body from producing the antibodies it needs to fight infection. That diagnosis meant weekly blood infusions, which I still receive today. I also battled chronic sinus infections and pneumonia, sometimes five times a year. I wore an eye patch. I was pulled out of class for treatments. I felt different.

But even as a little girl, I refused to be defined by a diagnosis.

At eight years old, I gave my life to Christ at a family camp in Green Lake, Wisconsin. That decision became the thread that held everything together — through every hospital stay, every hard year, every moment I wasn't sure what was coming next. I grew up with one foot on earth and one pointed toward heaven, and somehow that gave me more clarity about this life, not less.

I remember riding home from the hospital as a child, listening to “I Can Only Imagine” by MercyMe, and telling my mom, “You have to be ready for me to die. I’m so excited to be with Jesus.” I was completely at peace. She was not.

Today, I'm a wife to Zack and a mama to our two beautiful kids, David and River. Every single day with them is a reminder of God's faithfulness — because by every medical account, I shouldn't be here.

That's why I do what I do. I speak, I host a podcast, and I'm writing a book because your story deserves to be heard, and sometimes the only thing someone needs is proof that the impossible is possible.