Name: Heather W.
Location: East Marion, New York
Ranking: 1 Star Golden Circle
As Of: June 2011
Date Started Business: January 2008
Average Annual Income: $43,429

From Tragedy to Triumph, Heather Regains Strength With Isagenix®

January 23 wasn’t supposed to be anything out of the norm. Heather, her husband and two young children planned a normal jaunt to New York City to take in an exhibition of the Titanic, catch a few of the sights and then take the normal bus trip back to East Marion.

But January 23, 2010 turned out to be anything but that.

As Heather and her family were about to board the bus to travel back home, she spotted an ice cream store just across the street. With a few minutes to spare, the family waited to cross the street in Times Square and then headed toward the shop to grab a quick treat. Partway through the crosswalk, a taxi came “from out of nowhere,” describes Heather, and was headed straight for her and her 8-year-old daughter.

Pushing her daughter flat to the ground protecting her with her own arm, Heather took the brunt of the taxi’s impact as its tires ran over her right side, crushing her pelvis, half of her ribs, her scapula and shoulder blade. Her daughter escaped with only a few minor scratches and bruises. Her 12-year-old son and husband, just steps behind them, witnessed the horrific collision.

Though she remembers the accident, the week following it at the hospital is still a blur. As doctors mended her broken bones with rods and screws and kept her on an air machine as they worked to repair her punctured lung, she began to realize that she was living her worst nightmare. Aware of her surroundings, but unable to communicate, she felt helpless.

Looking back, as she’s continued on her road to recovery, Heather says she truly believes that Isagenix® prepared her for that fateful day.

Just three years earlier, the busy mother of two scarcely ate breakfast and “lived” on soda and candy bars. Though she struggled with a severe lack of energy, she helped wherever it was needed, providing meals for others and volunteering, and never asked for any help in return.

One day, while at her daughter’s gymnastics practice, she overheard a group of women talking about their increased energy and weight loss. She thought for a while to herself and then turned to the group of women, which included Isagenix Millionaire and 6-Star Golden Circle Jen S., apologized for eavesdropping and asked what they were doing. That’s when she learned about Isagenix.

As soon as she tried Isagenix and experienced improved energy and phenomenal results, including a 29-pound weight loss*, she knew she was hooked. She set her goals and began attending events and even bringing in an extra stream of income for her family. The once lethargic mother then began working out, eventually going to the toughest plyometrics classes available and even having regular appointments with a personal trainer.

With her extra income established, earning up to 16 cycles a week**, she and her family began saving for the trip of a lifetime to the Turks and Caicos islands in the Caribbean.
While the accident has indefinitely postponed her trip, Heather says she still wouldn’t change the events of January 23 even if she could.

“I used to be so wrapped up in running or doing this or that,” shares Heather. “It really makes you slow down and have a better appreciation for the things in life you forget to pay attention to.”

Heather says the situation also taught her to accept help and is grateful for all of the support she received from her community and her Isagenix family, including Isagenix Millionaire Jen and Isagenix Co-Founder Kathy Coover, who called to see how she was doing one day.

Through Jen’s training “she was always telling me—set your goals, write them down so you can see it and achieve it. She would always give me the positive words I needed to hear,” says Heather. “So throughout my recovery, I began writing my goals down every week and it began with simple tasks you take for granted. Now my goals are to get full range of motion back into my shoulder and take the kids to the zoo while we’re in San Diego for Celebration.”

She still posts her goals on her closet door and while “little things” like walking and being able to do the laundry again, have long been achieved, she knows that the lessons she’s learned through Isagenix and the accident have impacted her life for good.

“Because of the residual income I’ve continue to earn through my Isagenix business, I’ve still been able to help my family with bills including the unexpected ones for my medical care,” shares Heather. “I still feel like I’m contributing. It’s been hard, but at the same time, it reminds you of what’s really important to you.”