I am Still Here A Memoir of Survival, Faith, and Becoming

I Am Still Here is a raw, intimate, and deeply moving memoir about a young soldier whose life is forever changed by a medical crisis that arrives without warning. At twenty-two, pregnant and stationed far from home, Yolanda Bowden is thrust into a battle she never trained for - a battle inside her own body. A catastrophic headache leads to a rare diagnosis, pseudotumor cerebri, and she becomes a medical case study, enduring repeated spinal taps, emergency transfers, and months of uncertainty while fighting to protect the child growing inside her.

Through fear, pain, and isolation, Yolanda discovers a strength she didn't know she had. Her daughter Dawn becomes her anchor, her reason to keep going, and her reminder that miracles can bloom even in hospital rooms filled with fluorescent lights and whispered medical terms.

But survival is only the beginning.

A second unexpected pregnancy brings another crisis - a traumatic miscarriage during a medevac flight in Germany that shatters her heart and forces her to confront grief in its most brutal form. In the aftermath, a devastating medical decision is made for her: a tubal ligation at just twenty-three, ending her ability to have more children and reshaping her identity as a woman and mother.

Yolanda's first marriage fractures under the weight of trauma, but love finds her again in a man who sees her fully. Together, they build a blended family rooted in intention, honesty, and healing. Through faith, resilience, and the quiet strength that grows in broken places, Yolanda learns to reclaim her voice, her purpose, and her power.

I Am Still Here is a testament to survival, motherhood, military sacrifice, and the unshakeable faith that carries us through the darkest valleys. It is a story for every woman who has ever felt unseen, unheard, or unprotected - a reminder that even after the fire, you can rise, rebuild, and become.