LORTON, Va. - s4story -- Sepsis can progress in a matter of hours, and it is often hard to recognize until it becomes life-threatening, leaving patients and families searching for answers in the middle of a crisis. This September, during Sepsis Awareness Month, sepsis survivor and patient advocate Christina A. Cole decided to share her own story of survival in her memoir Through the Ashes and through the healthcare platforms she built because of it, in the hope that other families will feel more informed, more prepared, and less alone.

In 2023, a routine medical procedure turned catastrophic for Christina. Within hours, she went into septic shock and suffered cardiac arrest. What followed was months of hospitalization, multiple surgeries, bilateral transmetatarsal amputations, the loss of several fingertips, and a long road of reconstruction and rehabilitation.

Since then, Christina has become a national voice for sepsis survivors and for patients navigating a healthcare system that too often leaves them without answers. She speaks and advocates on sepsis awareness, patient safety, survivorship, life after critical illness, disability, healthcare navigation, and the responsible use of technology and AI in patient care, drawing on her own experience to make the case for change.

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"I cannot change what happened to me, but I can help others feel more informed and less alone as they navigate their own care," said Christina Cole. "Through the Ashes, Phoenix Health Compass, and Phoenix Navigator grew out of that purpose: to share the truth of survival and help patients and families find information, ask questions, and advocate for themselves."

Christina is the author of Through the Ashes, a memoir exploring survival, trauma, disability, recovery, family, resilience, and rebuilding a life after catastrophic illness. The book offers readers a first person account of what happens after the life-saving moment, when the crisis ends but the harder work of rebuilding a life begins.

She is also the Founder and CEO of Cole Meridian LLC, the company behind two connected, patient-centered healthcare platforms born directly from her own experience. Phoenix Health Compass helps patients and caregivers research providers, compare care options, and prepare for medical decisions. Phoenix Navigator supports patients and caregivers through the realities of hospitalization, critical illness, recovery, and life after a life-changing diagnosis. Together, the platforms are designed to give other families the information and support Christina's own family had to fight for.

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Christina is available for interviews throughout September and beyond to discuss sepsis awareness, patient safety, survivorship, and the responsible use of technology in healthcare. Through the Ashes is available now on Amazon, and more information on Phoenix Health Compass and Phoenix Navigator can be found at phoenixhealthcompass.com and phoenixnavigator.com. To connect with Christina directly, visit her LinkedIn page.

About Christina A. Cole

Christina A. Cole is an author, sepsis survivor, patient advocate, speaker, and healthcare technology founder who has transformed a life-altering medical crisis into a mission to improve the patient experience. She is the author of Through the Ashes and the Founder and CEO of Cole Meridian LLC. Learn more at christinaacole.com.