Kristen Ellingson

I come from a broken family and a life marked by deep trauma—abuse, addiction, incarceration, rebellion, and fractured relationships. For many years, pain shaped my identity, and survival felt like the only goal.

I carried wounds that influenced not only my choices, but my relationships with family, others, and myself. Everything began to change when I encountered God and surrendered my life to Him. Salvation did not erase my past, but it gave my pain purpose and my life direction.

Through His grace, God began restoring what had been shattered—my heart, my hope, and my understanding of who I was created to be. As He healed and transformed me, doors opened that I never imagined possible.

I was given the opportunity to travel internationally, including visiting Israel twice. One of the most sacred moments of my life was being baptized in the Jordan River—a powerful reminder that my old life no longer defined me and that God truly makes all things new.

In 2020, however, I entered one of the most humbling and frightening chapters of my life. After experiencing three overdoses within two months, I was placed on a civil commitment. At the time, I truly believed my life was over. I feared losing everything I had worked so hard to rebuild—my home, my future, and my sense of purpose.

What made it even harder was that I had been serving on the other side of the system. I had become a deputy reserve with the sheriff’s department, worked in the jail, and served in state facilities with individuals who were themselves on commitments. Then suddenly, I found myself being committed—and served papers by a colleague I had once worked alongside.

The weight of shame, grief, and fear was overwhelming. I spent eight weeks hospitalized, followed by ninety days in treatment. I was away from home for months, during COVID, when visitors were not allowed. The isolation was intense.

During that time, I struggled deeply with rebound insomnia, going six to seven months with severely broken sleep—often only a couple of fragmented hours a night. It was an exhausting, painful, and lonely season that tested me in every way.

At the time, I was angry—especially at the psychiatrist who initiated the commitment. But looking back now, with clarity and gratitude, I can say without hesitation that that decision saved my life.

After that season, I faced another unexpected chapter when I was diagnosed with chronic illness, Lyme disease, and neurological complications that nearly left me paralyzed. Along with the physical suffering came hair loss—an often overlooked but deeply emotional experience that impacts identity, confidence, and womanhood.

Losing not only my health, but visible parts of myself, forced me to grieve and rebuild once again. Because I knew firsthand what it feels like to lose pieces of yourself, God redirected my pain into purpose.

I became passionate about empowering women who experience hair loss and chronic illness—helping them feel seen, understood, and worthy. Out of hardship, God cultivated compassion, advocacy, and a heart for service.

Today, I serve as an ambassador for Global Lyme Alliance and as a board member and volunteer with a nonprofit organization. My life is centered on advocacy, volunteering, and giving back—using my story to bring hope, dignity, and encouragement to others walking similar paths.

My journey is a testimony of redemption: from brokenness to purpose, from pain to service, and from surviving to empowering others. I empower women facing hair loss and chronic illness because I understand how deeply these struggles affect identity, confidence, and hope—and I believe no woman should ever have to walk that road alone.

Every battle I’ve fought has become a testimony that I can share.