At the age of 31, fitness coach Kaylee Del Valle faced enormous challenges early in her adult life as she was diagnosed with cancer and three autoimmune diseases. During this difficult time, she found inner peace, hope, and a path to recovery by relying on her faith in God.
Originally a vibrant athlete, cheerleader, and outstanding student since childhood, Kaylee Del Valle began to experience abnormal fatigue upon entering university.
“I needed to sleep 12 to 15 hours every day,” she said in an interview with The Epoch Times. “It was very confusing for me because even with sufficient sleep, I would involuntarily doze off in classes. I struggled to stay awake just to make it through the day, get some homework done, have dinner, and then go to sleep again.”
When Kaylee’s mother noticed her daughter’s unusual health condition, especially considering the family history of thyroid disease, she insisted Kaylee undergo medical examinations. Despite being repeatedly told by doctors that she was young and unlikely to have thyroid issues, with some even implying that she might be exaggerating her health problems to her mother, doctors eventually conducted tests as per her mother’s insistence.
“The test results showed abnormal levels in my thyroid,” Del Valle recalled. “Further examinations confirmed that I had Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, an autoimmune thyroid disease.”
Unfortunately, this was just the beginning of a series of concerning diagnoses for Del Valle. After undergoing several tests, and reassured each time by doctors that everything should be fine, she was ultimately diagnosed with cancer following a thyroid biopsy.
“The doctors told me it was a slow-growing cancer, so I might be fine,” she said. “They believed I might have had this cancer since I was 12 years old.”
Following thyroid and surrounding lymph node removal surgeries, Del Valle began preparing for radiation therapy.
Facing her daughter’s illness, her parents felt heartbroken but their faith gave them strength. As a family, they believed in the promises of God as their source of support.
Kaylee Del Valle never blamed God for her health issues, even though she felt frustrated and exasperated with certain doctors’ attitudes towards her.
She said, “The doctors’ words seemed both dismissive and severe, which left me feeling very defeated, unsure of who to trust. They said, ‘You’re lucky, this is the slowest-growing cancer, you might be fine.’ Yet, they wanted me to immediately remove this vital organ.”
Caught between following medical advice and longing for a normal life, Del Valle felt her life spiraling out of control.
“I just wanted to start my adult life. I had to undergo surgery that I almost knew nothing about. It wasn’t the cancer that truly hurt me, but the treatment process and everything that followed. After surgery, I felt like the doctors’ care for me greatly diminished,” she recounted. “I went through treatments that in hindsight I shouldn’t have experienced. I was mishandled and misdiagnosed multiple times.”
Describing her difficult experiences during this period, she mentioned that in the months leading up to her radioactive iodine treatment, she and her parents worked tirelessly to find solutions as her health deteriorated.
“In just a few months, I gained about 80 pounds, had a minimal appetite, slept 18 hours a day, experienced hair loss, and had abnormally translucent skin, almost see-through. I started having hallucinations. It was an extremely painful time. All of these were consequences of losing a vital organ.”
In these chaotic and despairing moments, Del Valle turned to God for guidance.
“I had a turning point at that hospital,” she recalled. “I said to God, ‘God, if you could save my life, I would dedicate the rest of my life to you because I’m not ready to leave yet.’ It was after that moment that God began to show me what steps I could take for self-healing.
“I have been diagnosed with autoimmune diseases at least three times.”
Despite being told she had “bad genes” and would need to take a significant amount of medication for life by some doctors, she still believed she could find better recovery methods.
From that point on, she found a new doctor and began exploring natural therapies to aid in healing her body, although she still needed to take some medication.
She shared how, through continuous trials and errors, she gained a deeper understanding of her condition from God.
“I take medication as needed, while firmly telling God, ‘God, I believe you’ve provided everything I need for self-healing in this world; please guide me on what to do,'” she said. “God slowly led me to visit this website or that website, or let me find answers on my own. I occasionally came across testimonials of self-healing from others, which inspired me to start some small detoxification attempts.”
She also constantly adjusted her lifestyle. Around the age of 23, Del Valle read the book “Grain Brain” by Dr. David Perlmutter, where she learned about the impact of sugars and carbohydrates on the brain. Applying the knowledge from the book, her physical strength gradually began to return.
At a time when hair loss due to alopecia was an issue for her, she discovered the effectiveness of rosemary essential oil.
“My hair started growing back since I began using rosemary essential oil and has not fallen out since,” she expressed with gratitude.
Later, Kaylee Del Valle made a significant dietary change, switching to a meat-based diet. This decision came after her brother and sister-in-law recommended a TED talk about a carnivorous diet by Mikhaila Peterson.
For Del Valle, this dietary approach brought positive impacts.
“I cook ground beef with beef tallow and add a lot of salt,” she shared. “Eventually, I found a bone broth protein powder from Ancient Nutrition, which I mix with collagen powder from the same brand into my smoothies, sometimes adding organic whole milk and frozen blueberries. I stuck to this diet for a whole year, although it might sound concerning for nutrient intake.”
However, the health benefits of this dietary change were evident. Del Valle, who previously needed supplements due to low vitamin D levels, found a significant increase in her vitamin D levels in a check-up a year later.
Throughout this journey, whether in progress or setbacks, she remained grateful, thanking God for His guidance and support. She recalled feeling God’s guidance and responses during prayers, which made her feel less alone.
“This gave me the courage to keep going because I’m still working on overcoming weight fluctuations, mental fogginess, and memory issues,” she said.
As a fitness coach, she felt guided by God to pass on the spark of hope to those struggling with health problems.
She shared, “For those going through difficulties, it’s most important to know God. If you’ve built a connection with Him, then no matter what situation you face, put Him first. Sometimes He’ll guide you to seek help from doctors, and sometimes He’ll tell you, ‘This time, I’ll pave a different path for you.’ The key is to learn to listen to His call, which is the only way I’ve overcome these challenges.”