From the depths of health anxiety, to the birth of Eli House.

Over the years, We’ve worn many hats, business owner's, mother's, partner's, leader's and we've celebrated countless moments of joy. But the most transformative chapter of our working life didn’t come from success, growth, or achievement. It came from struggle. From the depths of health anxiety, loss, and uncertainty, I found a new kind of strength one that led me and my business partner Rachel to create Eli House Family Hub, a space built for families to heal, connect, and thrive.

A Birth That Changed Everything

The birth of my first daughter was nothing like I had imagined. After three exhausting days of labour, I had an emergency C-section, the very scenario I’d feared most. It wasn’t part of my plan, and yet it was the procedure that saved us both.

I was grateful, but I was also overwhelmed. My mind hadn’t caught up with my body. I was running a childcare business I’d just opened, navigating new motherhood, and silently drowning in fear and exhaustion.

When my daughter was only two weeks old, I sensed something was wrong. A rash appeared, and within hours, we were in an isolation room at the hospital. The next week was a blur of tests, tubes, and sleepless nights. I barely moved from her bedside two weeks post-surgery, running on empty, still trying to keep my business alive. My body needed rest, but I didn’t know how to stop.

And somewhere in that hospital corridor, as I walked myself to A&E for pain relief, I remember thinking: Who is caring for the mothers while they care for everyone else?

The Slow Unraveling

We eventually came home and tried to settle into family life. But beneath the surface, I was breaking. My body healed, but my mind didn’t. The anxiety stayed. The what-ifs echoed. Then came a pandemic, more health struggles, surgery, and a miscarriage that left me feeling completely untethered.

I didn’t know it at the time, but I was dissociating, running on survival mode, carrying the weight of everything and everyone. My identity as a carer and entrepreneur left no room for me to simply be.

A New Beginning

Then, our rainbow baby arrived. She was our light after the storm, calm, grounding, and full of quiet strength. Her birth, though another C-section, was planned and peaceful. It gave me the pause I desperately needed.

But two weeks later, the same fear crept in. I watched her constantly, searching for danger that wasn’t there. I wasn’t reliving the trauma; I was still in it. Only now did I truly understand that healing wasn’t about time passing it was about turning toward the pain and working through it.

And so began my real recovery.

Therapy, reflection, slowing down piece by piece, I learned to reconnect with my body and mind. I learned that anxiety isn’t a weakness but a signal: a call to care, to rest, to rebuild.

From Healing to Purpose

Through my recovery, one truth became impossible to ignore families need more holistic spaces for support. Spaces that honour both children and parents. Spaces that recognise that the wellbeing of one affects the whole.

That’s where Eli House Family Hub was born.

Eli House isn’t just a business; it’s the home I needed but couldn’t find when I was struggling. A home-from-home environment where early years excellence meets family wellness. A place that celebrates connection, play, and care. Not only for our little ones, but for the adults raising them.

At Eli House, we believe family wellbeing starts with the caregivers. When parents feel supported, children thrive. When we build community, healing happens.

Finding Light in the Darkness

Looking back, I can see how every difficult chapter led me here. From the sleepless nights in hospital to the slow steps toward recovery, all of it helped shaped the vision behind Eli House.

Healing isn’t linear. It’s messy, imperfect, and deeply human. But it’s also possible, especially when we don’t have to do it alone.

Eli House Family Hub is our way of passing that light forward: a space where families can find comfort, connection, and courage together.

Because from trauma can come transformation. And from the depths of health anxiety can rise a new kind of joy. The joy of healing, and the hope of helping others do the same.