When the Future Changes Overnight
There are moments that divide life into two parts: before and after.
For Amanda Middlemiss, that moment came with a devastating motor vehicle accident.
She survived, but the road back was far longer than anyone could see from the outside. Recovering from a traumatic brain injury meant learning to navigate a life that no longer looked the way she had imagined. At the same time, she was raising her child as a single mother, trying to move forward while much of the future felt uncertain.
Recovery wasn’t simply about getting better.
It was about believing there could still be another chapter.
A Door That Had Been Closed
Somewhere during that recovery, Amanda found herself drawn to medical aesthetics.
She wasn’t chasing a trend or looking for an easy career change. She wanted work that required skill, patience, and genuine care for other people. She wanted to build something she could be proud of.
There was one problem.
She couldn’t afford to begin.
Amanda applied for the 2025 La Vie Cares Scholarship, a program created to support people whose circumstances might otherwise keep them from pursuing a new profession.
She was awarded a full scholarship.
For the first time since the accident, the next step no longer felt out of reach.
Rebuilding Confidence
Amanda arrived at La Vie Academy determined not to waste the opportunity.
She completed the online curriculum, travelled to Edmonton for her practicum, and approached every part of the program with the same determination that had carried her through recovery.
She often speaks less about individual treatments than she does about how she felt while learning.
Supported.
Encouraged.
Able to ask questions without hesitation.
“I felt supported from beginning to end. You can always reach out to your trainer, your facilitator… it just feels like you’re supported.”
As the weeks passed, something else returned.
Not just new skills.
Confidence.
“I feel comfortable and confident. I am well equipped to go out into the medical aesthetics world and be successful.”
Coming Home with a Different Future
After graduating, Amanda returned home to Victoria, British Columbia.
This time, she wasn’t returning to continue recovering.
She was returning to begin her career.
She accepted a position as a Medical Aesthetician and started building the future that had once seemed impossible to picture.
Today, her days are filled with consultations, treatments, continuing education, and the quiet rhythm of learning a profession she genuinely enjoys.
When people hear Amanda’s story, it’s easy to focus on the accident.
She doesn’t.
She talks about moving forward.
“Believe in yourself, even when life feels uncertain. Growth takes time, and every step forward matters. Stay committed, trust the process, and never underestimate what you’re capable of achieving.”
Amanda’s story isn’t remarkable because hardship found her.
Hardship finds many people.
Her story is remarkable because, when life offered every reason to stop believing in what might come next, she chose to believe anyway.
Sometimes courage isn’t found in a single extraordinary moment.
Sometimes it’s found in deciding that your future deserves another chance—and taking the first step toward it.
Amanda M (2025 La Vie Cares Scholarship Recipient)
Medical Aesthetics Program Graduate
Current Position: Medical Aesthetician at Renu Laser and Skin
City: Vancouver