One in a Million: A Rare Diagnosis, a 14-Hour Surgery, and the Miracle That Changed Everything with Kerry Santucci

What do a rare tumor, 150 job rejections, a 14-and-a-half-hour surgery, and a baby named Jehovah Heals have in common? They're all chapters in the remarkable story of today's guest, Kerry Santucci.

Kerry Santucci is a healthcare operations professional and values-driven problem solver with over 15 years of experience in healthcare management. Holding a Master of Health Administration from Florida Atlantic University, Kerry has spent her career bringing clarity to chaos — partnering with physicians, executives, and hospital teams to strengthen both systems and people.

But Kerry's most defining lessons didn't come from a boardroom or a classroom. They came from the patient side of the hospital bed.

At just 23 years old — only nine months into her marriage — Kerry was diagnosed with an extraordinarily rare tumor: one that occurs in only one in a million patients, typically in women who are pregnant or post-C-section. Kerry was neither. And the tumor wasn't where it was supposed to be. It had wrapped around to her spine.

In this deeply personal and powerful conversation, Kerry shares:

• How becoming a patient inside the very healthcare system she served reshaped her compassion, her calling, and her faith
• The 14-and-a-half-hour surgery her neurosurgeon performed against the advice of every colleague — and the miracle that followed six months later
• How she and her husband waited two years before attempting to have a child, and the extraordinary meaning behind her son Josiah's name (Jehovah Heals)
• Her experience pursuing a master's degree at 40+ — and the painful surprise of delay, rejection, and over 150 job applications with no breakthrough
• What God taught her in the quiet, unseen seasons: about humility, faithfulness, serving without applause, and trusting the timing
• Why she and her husband are now stepping into a brand-new chapter with a cross-state move to the Augusta, Georgia/South Carolina area
• The mentor who changed her life with six simple words: 'You're smart, and you're going places'
• Her life-anchoring quote from John C. Maxwell and what it means to choose growth when change finds you

Kerry closes with words she wishes someone had said to her sooner — and they may be exactly what you need to hear today:

"You're not behind. Your value is not tied to a title. Your strength is not proven through exhaustion. And the delay you're frustrated with may be the very thing that's protecting you. Stay faithful in the small things."

Whether you're in a waiting room right now — literal or metaphorical — this episode is for you. Pull up a chair, open your heart, and let Kerry's journey remind you: what feels like junk can become the very place where God does His finest work.

Connect with Kerry Santucci:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerrysantucci

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