Sue Madecky

I'm Sue, a nurse, mother, nonprofit founder, and woman in long-term recovery. My journey has been anything but simple, and it's taught me what healing really looks like when life feels messy, heavy, and uncertain.

I grew up in a family shaped by addiction and carried that pain into my own adulthood. Becoming a young mom in recovery without tools or guidance was overwhelming. Over time, with the help of others and a lot of hard work, I began finding my way back to myself.

Twelve years into recovery, I became a nurse. I spent years in emergency rooms and psychiatric units, where I witnessed both deep suffering and quiet resilience. Later, after losing my brother to an overdose, I opened a nonprofit and a women's sober living home. There, I supported women as they learned, often for the first time, how to live, feel, and parent in recovery. That work deepened my understanding of trauma, family systems, and the hidden weight so many of us carry.

My journey has also been shaped by my own chronic illness along with my son's. I do understand the daily toll of fatigue, pain, and uncertainty and it took a longtime for me to accept it and then address it. I spent years walking alongside my son through his cancer journey, navigating the fear, the hospital stays, and the courage it takes just to keep moving forward.

Those experiences profoundly changed me, deepening both my compassion and my commitment to helping others find a way through.

What I've learned is that healing isn't all about fixing yourself. It's about remembering who you are. It's about compassion, truth, and creating spaces people feel safe enough to grow in.

Now, through Ember Rise Wellness, I have the chance to bring together my nursing background, nonprofit work, and lived experience to create encouragement, courses, and tools for healing. My goal is to help people recognize their patterns, reconnect with themselves, and start new chapters that feel aligned and real.

I believe we all carry an ember inside. With time, care, and the right kind of support, that ember can grow into something steady, strong, and bright.