Asheville Mom Robin Embler Fights for Her Daughter’s Quality of Life
By Meg Hale Brunton
This article is not meant to treat, cure, or mitigate any disease, condition, or injury.
This is simply a true journey of successful applications applied with undeniable victorious results, thus far.
Twenty-two-year-old Victoria Faith McNabb was an honors student with a contagious smile and a passion for music. She played classical piano and adored ‘The Phantom of the Opera.’ She was also the mother of a 3-year-old little boy. Eight years ago on May 22nd, Victoria was crossing Hendersonville Road (there has since been a crosswalk installed at the location) on her way to meet her mother for dinner when she was struck by an oncoming car going 45+ mph. The driver crashed into her, knocking Victoria fifty-three feet causing massive damage to her brain. Three of her front teeth knocked out, and she suffered a catastrophic brain injury.
“That day, my daughter died, but I still have this broken body. I am so deeply grateful to still have her, but I miss her terribly,” says Victoria’s mother, Robin Embler. That same day, Robin embarked on a mission to fight for her daughter’s quality of life. “This is my journey, as much as it is hers. I tell Victoria, ‘I will speak for you, I will be your voice until you get your voice back. I will do whatever I need to do for you until you can do it yourself.’”
At a young age Robin’s parents divorced and did not have a close relationship with her father. Robin wanted to know what true love; real love was. God was faithful in hearing her cry to know this truth. She set out to give her children a different childhood than the one she experienced. * At thirty-three years of age, Robin freely gave her heart to Jesus Christ and became a born again Christian. She began making substantial changes in her life. Following Jesus Christ and asking God for wisdom, knowledge, insight, and discernment for healing from serious health issues herself. Spiritually, emotionally, physically, financially, and relationally. Robin committed to living a healthier lifestyle and became ‘a researcher of wellness.’ As a single mom, she improved her family’s diet, began homeschooling her children, began ballroom dancing. Even after Victoria’s accident, Robin remains determined to maintain those values in her daughter’s life.
In the neurotrauma ICU, Victoria’s initial prognosis on the Glasgow Coma Scale (1-15) rating was 6 (severe). Ten weeks before her husband abandoned her and took her son to Michigan. Upon hearing what happened, he threatened to return and take her off life support. Although the doctors told her Victoria would be a vegetable, never be able to do anything, she knew God was faithful. Robin knew at this point she needed to save Victoria’s life and file for legal guardianship. Immediately began fighting for legal guardianship from her husband and won. She began researching alternative methods of healing to improve her daughter’s condition. In the meantime, Robin’s son Matthew was at Parris Island, SC in boot camp to become a US Marine. This was only 5 days before Victoria’s accident. The emotional pressure was intense. The prayer, phone calls, emails, research for the next four months was the most grueling.
The following thirty-one days there was no change and the hospital pushed her out because she was stable and insurance said so. The neurostorming was the worst. Victoria was discharged to the CARF accredited Care Partners Rehabilitation for the next eighty-one days. Again, being pushed out for lack of funding and failure to thrive. Options given to Robin; Victoria goes home without support or moves into a nursing home. What??? She is twenty-two years old! I had no other option and so she was placed into a long term care facility, a nursing home for twenty-nine horrific months. Robin was present 7-12 hours a day, caring for her. “I cannot tell you the buckets of tears and the times I have fallen on my knees, crying out to God to help me.”
Robin continued taking steps to improve her daughter’s care. Common sense told Robin that if Victoria could swallow her own spit, she should be able to swallow food. Like a baby. To date Victoria has passed three swallow studies and eats purred foods and can drink. In the nursing home, Victoria was fed a food supplement through a tube, of which the main ingredient was high fructose corn syrup. Though the nursing home disapproved of it, Robin began bringing in homemade smoothies and pureed food for Victoria. Victoria responded well to being fed and could swallow on her own.
Robin’s care plan for Victoria Faith focuses on the whole person, spirit, soul (mind, will & emotions) and body. Ministering through the environment and atmosphere. Focus is on the five senses. What she sees, hears, smells, tastes, and touches.
Integrity is who you are when no one is watching. God is watching and keeping account for those like Victoria Faith. For twenty-nine months in the nursing home Victoria suffered from poor care, abuse, neglect and isolation. This is why Robin was and is so persistent in the quality of care and being present is a must. Trust is essential. It is unfortunate those who cannot speak or communicate in any way are taken advantage of. Attention is given to those residents last. Administrative staff did not approve and made every effort to remove Robin’s guardianship and make Victoria a permanent “CASH COW” for them. She had to hire an attorney and fight. Again! After six months of court hearings, the nursing home removed their petition and Robin has remained Victoria’s legal guardian because of the exceptional care and love of her daughter.
Six years ago in November, Robin brought Victoria home and became her full-time caregiver. With the approval of Victoria’s health care professionals, she created a comprehensive care plan. She successfully took Victoria off all her medications, replacing them with supplementation, a healthy diet of smoothies, pureed foods. Including essential oils, a daily massage, quantum physics, neurofeedback therapy and brainwave-stimulating activities. Victoria also sees a chiropractor twice a week, practices Kinesiology, and has done fifty-two sessions in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber. She receives lots of love and support from her therapy dog, Louie. “The therapies that I’m doing, I know they’ve made a difference,” Robin reports, citing that Victoria’s brain has shown a 52% inprovement in neuroplasticity since she left the nursing home, which she says is unheard of. She says Victoria has never been sick since leaving the nursing home and that all testing shows her to be emotionally stable, happy, and content.
Robin is paying out of pocket for a great deal of Victoria’s to care for Victoria. She has qualified for nonprofit status to receive donations to assist with Victoria’s care. While there are numerous government programs designed to help people who are born with challenges, this is unfortunately not the case for those suffering disabilities due to injury over the age of twenty-two when occurred. “When you have an injury to the magnitude of Victoria, whatever the injury may be, doctors give little to no hope. You may be encouraged to say your goodbyes. It's just really heartbreaking. There needs to be education out there for people to incorporate the type of approach Robin has proven works,” explains Robin. She brings in support staff, as well as periodic visits from medical professionals, but says that it is incredibly hard to find and keep help. “It is all on my shoulders. I need help. I cannot do the (other) things I need to do; I cannot advocate for her if I do not have someone consistently supporting and caring for her.”
Currently, according to the North Carolina Brain Injury Association (BIANC), there are 280,000 people in NC with traumatic brain injury. Robin says everything she has read from many neurologists who specialize in TBI state the brain is neuroplastic and capable of change, given the proper care. Victoria's care program combines brain stimulation through vibration and frequency, with love and compassion. Robin hopes that Victoria’s progress will give others hope. “Being a blessing and inspiration to others with Victoria’s story is deepest desire of my heart; secondary to the manifestation of her miracle” she says.
Robin maintains a website and a YouTube channel about Victoria so people can keep up with her progress. She is also considering hosting her own podcast focused on improving the lives of people with traumatic brain injuries. Robin says that she knew when she named her daughter Victoria Faith that her story was going to be incredible. Her daughter’s progress causes her to reflect on the bible passage from Esther 4:14 ‘Perhaps you were born for such a time as this.’
Although Robin’s son Matthew completed 6 years in the Marine Corps with traumatic brain injury and PTSD. Of course, it is not as catastrophic as his sister, it is incredibly challenging. She is making every effort to assist him with his recovery too.
Now at 30, Victoria has progressed on a physical level, as well as a mental one. She colors, does activities with art, music with her keyboards, learning to communicate with her Eye Gaze Computer system, and on her tablet. She can perform a little sign language and tries to brush her own hair and teeth. In physical therapy, she is currently working on full weight bearing standing. The most special improvement for Robin is that her daughter will turn her head and give her a kiss on the cheek throughout the day. “I feel I win the lottery every time because I know she’s there, there is so much love in her eyes,” Robin says of that moment. “I hear often that Victoria is "lucky" to have her as her mother. Robin says, I am the one that is blessed to still have her in my life.”
For more on Robin and Victoria’s story, or to make a tax-deductible donation, visit their website: www.HelpVictoriaFaith.org
By Meg Hale Brunton
This article is not meant to treat, cure, or mitigate any disease, condition, or injury.
This is simply a true journey of successful applications applied with undeniable victorious results, thus far.
Twenty-two-year-old Victoria Faith McNabb was an honors student with a contagious smile and a passion for music. She played classical piano and adored ‘The Phantom of the Opera.’ She was also the mother of a 3-year-old little boy. Eight years ago on May 22nd, Victoria was crossing Hendersonville Road (there has since been a crosswalk installed at the location) on her way to meet her mother for dinner when she was struck by an oncoming car going 45+ mph. The driver crashed into her, knocking Victoria fifty-three feet causing massive damage to her brain. Three of her front teeth knocked out, and she suffered a catastrophic brain injury.
“That day, my daughter died, but I still have this broken body. I am so deeply grateful to still have her, but I miss her terribly,” says Victoria’s mother, Robin Embler. That same day, Robin embarked on a mission to fight for her daughter’s quality of life. “This is my journey, as much as it is hers. I tell Victoria, ‘I will speak for you, I will be your voice until you get your voice back. I will do whatever I need to do for you until you can do it yourself.’”
At a young age Robin’s parents divorced and did not have a close relationship with her father. Robin wanted to know what true love; real love was. God was faithful in hearing her cry to know this truth. She set out to give her children a different childhood than the one she experienced. * At thirty-three years of age, Robin freely gave her heart to Jesus Christ and became a born again Christian. She began making substantial changes in her life. Following Jesus Christ and asking God for wisdom, knowledge, insight, and discernment for healing from serious health issues herself. Spiritually, emotionally, physically, financially, and relationally. Robin committed to living a healthier lifestyle and became ‘a researcher of wellness.’ As a single mom, she improved her family’s diet, began homeschooling her children, began ballroom dancing. Even after Victoria’s accident, Robin remains determined to maintain those values in her daughter’s life.
In the neurotrauma ICU, Victoria’s initial prognosis on the Glasgow Coma Scale (1-15) rating was 6 (severe). Ten weeks before her husband abandoned her and took her son to Michigan. Upon hearing what happened, he threatened to return and take her off life support. Although the doctors told her Victoria would be a vegetable, never be able to do anything, she knew God was faithful. Robin knew at this point she needed to save Victoria’s life and file for legal guardianship. Immediately began fighting for legal guardianship from her husband and won. She began researching alternative methods of healing to improve her daughter’s condition. In the meantime, Robin’s son Matthew was at Parris Island, SC in boot camp to become a US Marine. This was only 5 days before Victoria’s accident. The emotional pressure was intense. The prayer, phone calls, emails, research for the next four months was the most grueling.
The following thirty-one days there was no change and the hospital pushed her out because she was stable and insurance said so. The neurostorming was the worst. Victoria was discharged to the CARF accredited Care Partners Rehabilitation for the next eighty-one days. Again, being pushed out for lack of funding and failure to thrive. Options given to Robin; Victoria goes home without support or moves into a nursing home. What??? She is twenty-two years old! I had no other option and so she was placed into a long term care facility, a nursing home for twenty-nine horrific months. Robin was present 7-12 hours a day, caring for her. “I cannot tell you the buckets of tears and the times I have fallen on my knees, crying out to God to help me.”
Robin continued taking steps to improve her daughter’s care. Common sense told Robin that if Victoria could swallow her own spit, she should be able to swallow food. Like a baby. To date Victoria has passed three swallow studies and eats purred foods and can drink. In the nursing home, Victoria was fed a food supplement through a tube, of which the main ingredient was high fructose corn syrup. Though the nursing home disapproved of it, Robin began bringing in homemade smoothies and pureed food for Victoria. Victoria responded well to being fed and could swallow on her own.
Robin’s care plan for Victoria Faith focuses on the whole person, spirit, soul (mind, will & emotions) and body. Ministering through the environment and atmosphere. Focus is on the five senses. What she sees, hears, smells, tastes, and touches.
Integrity is who you are when no one is watching. God is watching and keeping account for those like Victoria Faith. For twenty-nine months in the nursing home Victoria suffered from poor care, abuse, neglect and isolation. This is why Robin was and is so persistent in the quality of care and being present is a must. Trust is essential. It is unfortunate those who cannot speak or communicate in any way are taken advantage of. Attention is given to those residents last. Administrative staff did not approve and made every effort to remove Robin’s guardianship and make Victoria a permanent “CASH COW” for them. She had to hire an attorney and fight. Again! After six months of court hearings, the nursing home removed their petition and Robin has remained Victoria’s legal guardian because of the exceptional care and love of her daughter.
Six years ago in November, Robin brought Victoria home and became her full-time caregiver. With the approval of Victoria’s health care professionals, she created a comprehensive care plan. She successfully took Victoria off all her medications, replacing them with supplementation, a healthy diet of smoothies, pureed foods. Including essential oils, a daily massage, quantum physics, neurofeedback therapy and brainwave-stimulating activities. Victoria also sees a chiropractor twice a week, practices Kinesiology, and has done fifty-two sessions in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber. She receives lots of love and support from her therapy dog, Louie. “The therapies that I’m doing, I know they’ve made a difference,” Robin reports, citing that Victoria’s brain has shown a 52% inprovement in neuroplasticity since she left the nursing home, which she says is unheard of. She says Victoria has never been sick since leaving the nursing home and that all testing shows her to be emotionally stable, happy, and content.
Robin is paying out of pocket for a great deal of Victoria’s to care for Victoria. She has qualified for nonprofit status to receive donations to assist with Victoria’s care. While there are numerous government programs designed to help people who are born with challenges, this is unfortunately not the case for those suffering disabilities due to injury over the age of twenty-two when occurred. “When you have an injury to the magnitude of Victoria, whatever the injury may be, doctors give little to no hope. You may be encouraged to say your goodbyes. It's just really heartbreaking. There needs to be education out there for people to incorporate the type of approach Robin has proven works,” explains Robin. She brings in support staff, as well as periodic visits from medical professionals, but says that it is incredibly hard to find and keep help. “It is all on my shoulders. I need help. I cannot do the (other) things I need to do; I cannot advocate for her if I do not have someone consistently supporting and caring for her.”
Currently, according to the North Carolina Brain Injury Association (BIANC), there are 280,000 people in NC with traumatic brain injury. Robin says everything she has read from many neurologists who specialize in TBI state the brain is neuroplastic and capable of change, given the proper care. Victoria's care program combines brain stimulation through vibration and frequency, with love and compassion. Robin hopes that Victoria’s progress will give others hope. “Being a blessing and inspiration to others with Victoria’s story is deepest desire of my heart; secondary to the manifestation of her miracle” she says.
Robin maintains a website and a YouTube channel about Victoria so people can keep up with her progress. She is also considering hosting her own podcast focused on improving the lives of people with traumatic brain injuries. Robin says that she knew when she named her daughter Victoria Faith that her story was going to be incredible. Her daughter’s progress causes her to reflect on the bible passage from Esther 4:14 ‘Perhaps you were born for such a time as this.’
Although Robin’s son Matthew completed 6 years in the Marine Corps with traumatic brain injury and PTSD. Of course, it is not as catastrophic as his sister, it is incredibly challenging. She is making every effort to assist him with his recovery too.
Now at 30, Victoria has progressed on a physical level, as well as a mental one. She colors, does activities with art, music with her keyboards, learning to communicate with her Eye Gaze Computer system, and on her tablet. She can perform a little sign language and tries to brush her own hair and teeth. In physical therapy, she is currently working on full weight bearing standing. The most special improvement for Robin is that her daughter will turn her head and give her a kiss on the cheek throughout the day. “I feel I win the lottery every time because I know she’s there, there is so much love in her eyes,” Robin says of that moment. “I hear often that Victoria is "lucky" to have her as her mother. Robin says, I am the one that is blessed to still have her in my life.”
For more on Robin and Victoria’s story, or to make a tax-deductible donation, visit their website: www.HelpVictoriaFaith.org