🏠 A Story too close to home

There’s a part of my story I don’t always speak about—not because it’s less important, but because it’s harder. It doesn’t belong to me alone. It belongs to the little girl who, in the quiet of the night, saw the world as she knew it shift forever. 🌙💔

When I went into sudden cardiac arrest, I wasn’t the only one who suffered.

While I don’t remember the event, my husband and family have shared the details with me. What haunts me most is not my memory—but the memories etched into my older daughter’s heart. 💭

She was there.

She saw it all.

The fear. The chaos. Then the silence and uncertainty

---

🧸 The Silent Pain of Childhood PTSD

PTSD is often misunderstood as something that affects only soldiers or adults. But children—especially those who witness a parent’s medical emergency—are deeply vulnerable.

📊 According to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network:

➡️ Over 78% of children report experiencing more than one traumatic event before age 5.

Yet many of these cases go unrecognized. PTSD in children can look like:

🔹 Nightmares or trouble sleeping

🔹 Irritability or angry outbursts

🔹 Separation anxiety

🔹 Reenacting trauma through play

🔹 Regression (bedwetting, clinginess)

🔹 Unexplained physical symptoms (headaches, stomachaches)

My daughter showed several of these signs. Still, we hesitated—because we wanted to believe she was okay. But resilience doesn’t mean silence. And healing doesn’t happen alone. 💬🧡

---

🫂 Breaking the Cycle with Support and Truth

For a long time, I avoided telling her what really happened. I thought I was protecting her.

Until one day she said:

“Mommy, if something happens to you again, I don’t know what to do. I don’t feel safe.” 😔

Her words cracked me open.

That day, I held her close and had the hardest conversation of my life.

🧠 I explained what happened that night.

📞 I taught her how to call 911.

🤍 I reminded her that it’s not her job to save anyone—but knowing what to do can make her feel safer.

That conversation didn’t ease the pain—but it planted the seeds of trust and healing. 🌱✨

---

💡 Hope for Families Like Ours

If your child has witnessed something traumatic—whether a medical crisis, an accident, or something else—you are not alone. And neither are they. 🫶

Here’s what helped us:

✅ Trauma-informed therapy

✅ Keeping routines (especially bedtime)

✅ Encouraging emotional expression (through art, play, journaling)

✅ Teaching simple safety tools

✅ Being endlessly patient—with them and with ourselves 💞

👉 PTSD is not the end of their story.

It’s a chapter. And one that can be rewritten—with love, support, and time.

---

🏆 From Trauma to Triumph

Today, my daughter still has moments of fear. But she also has strength. 💪

She laughs louder. Sleeps better. And most importantly—

She knows her voice matters. 🎤❤️ (check her amazing performance in one of my Podcasts 😍)

If you’ve survived something unimaginable and your children walked through it with you—ask them how they’re doing. Not just once. But again and again. 🫶

Because trauma can ripple through generations…

But so can healing. 🕊️

And in our home, that healing has begun. One night. One story. One heartbeat at a time. And you can find it all in my Book!💓

With love and hope,
💛 Jana Bonassi
Cardiac Arrest Survivor | Heart Health Advocate | Author of Heart of Hope