Amanda’s story
The crown she created.
Injury became art. Survival became service.
Amanda’s story is not a promise that pain disappears. It is evidence that what happened does not have to make every decision about what happens next.
A crown made from the metal that held her spine together.
When Amanda places the crown on her head, she wears more than a symbol of beauty. Woven into its design are the plates and screws that once stabilized her broken back.
It is not a trophy for being fearless. It is a reminder that courage can coexist with fear—and that self-advocacy, qualified support, prayer, surrender and the wisdom of the body can belong in the same room.
A life in chapters
Nothing was wasted.
Before
Learning to cross boundaries
Amanda studied intercultural and religious studies, served refugees and women at risk, connected with unhoused communities and hosted gatherings across cultures.
2010
Henna becomes a language
While resettling refugees, Amanda discovered an art form that could move across culture and religion. The cool paste slowed her breathing and gave anxiety somewhere gentle to land.
2017
Crowns of courage
Her ArtPrize work grew into Henna Crowns of Courage, adorning women and children experiencing chemotherapy and hair loss with personal, temporary crowns.
2022
The collision
A head-on collision in Ibiza left Amanda with a traumatic brain injury and a broken back. She spent six days in a coma, then began the long work of returning to herself.
After
Reclamation
The surgical metal was eventually removed. Amanda forged it into a crown: what held an injured body together becoming a symbol of sovereignty, gratitude and rebirth.
Now
A living legacy
Amanda brings the lessons forward through coaching, speaking, henna, conscious gatherings and collaborations that help people turn lived experience into meaningful service.
“Something can be sacred and meaningful without lasting forever.”
That lesson began with henna. It became intensely personal in recovery. Today it shapes Amanda’s understanding of the body, grief, beauty, identity and change.
The aim is not to turn every wound into a brand. It is to meet experience honestly, receive the support it requires, and listen for what life may be asking us to create.
Continue with Amanda
Choose what this story opens next.
Find direct support with Amanda, or explore the trusted resources and relationships that connect her work to a wider living-legacy ecosystem.