The Long Haul with Summer

35 Doctors. 3 Children's Hospitals. One "Medical Jailbreak." Kyle Cooper was a nationally ranked triathlete until he was found collapsed on his bedroom floor. He explains how severe sensory overstimulation forced him into a "blackout room," wearing noise-canceling headphones just to survive the day. For years, every specialist called his symptoms "preposterous" or "just dehydration." They were wrong.Colby Cooper shares the heart-pounding moment he pulled his son out of the hospital to find the truth. Discover how Dr. Jordan Vaughn and the Microvascular Research Foundation (MVRF) identified the 92% vein blockage and micro-clots that traditional medicine missed."This experience has made us lifelong supporters and advocates for the Microvascular Research Foundation. This is our new calling." — ColbyLearn more about the Microvascular Research Foundation and how you can help at: https://mvresearch.org/

Discover how one medical practice is transforming patient care by building a pharmacy right inside their clinic. Pharmacist Scherry shares her journey working with an integrated healthcare team, providing same-day prescriptions, compounded medications, and expert guidance on supplements and off-label therapies. From streamlining care to supporting patients through the pandemic, see how this unique setup improves outcomes, builds trust, and redefines what patient-centered healthcare can look like.Learn more about the Microvascular Research Foundation and how you can help at https://mvresearch.org/

For years, Grace Gilliver knew something was wrong — but doctors kept dismissing her concerns. Her symptoms worsened, answers never came, and she was left searching for help on her own. In this episode of The Long Haul with Summer, she shares her journey through chronic illness, long COVID, and the moment everything changed when one doctor finally listened.Learn more about the Microvascular Research Foundation and how you can help at: https://mvresearch.org/

For years, Deb Moyer’s seizures, paralysis, and debilitating symptoms were dismissed by doctors as “all in her head.” Labeled psychiatric and accused of faking her illness, she faced a life-threatening reality that went unrecognized. When she finally found a care team willing to investigate the true cause — blood clots and severe microvascular issues — they told her she should have been dead.Through perseverance, faith, and innovative integrative care, Deb fought to reclaim her health, regain her mobility, and rebuild her life. Her story highlights the dangers of medical dismissal, the importance of being believed, and the hope that comes from care that thinks outside the box.Learn more about the Microvascular Research Foundation and how you can help at https://mvresearch.org/

When Laura's husband was hospitalized with COVID, she knew something wasn't right. The treatments weren't helping, he was getting worse, and she made the bold decision to take him home.In this episode of The Long Haul with Summer, Laura shares the challenges they faced, how they found care outside the traditional system, and why she believes her actions saved his life. She also reflects on patient advocacy, hope, and the importance of questioning a broken system.Learn more about the Microvascular Research Foundation and how you can help at: https://mvresearch.org/

Jodi Cherry was a high-level tech executive leading 400 people when her life changed in a single second. While on a routine Zoom call, half of her body went numb. It was the start of a terrifying medical mystery where her "blood felt like it was boiling" and her high-powered career was stripped away.In this episode of The Long Haul with Summer, Jody shares her raw journey through the "Ologists" to finally find answers: Lyme Disease, Long COVID, and Fibromyalgia. This is a story about the loss of identity, the reality of invisible illness, and the faith required to keep going when your body fails you.Learn more about the Microvascular Research Foundation and how you can help at https://mvresearch.org/

Eddie Balter joins Summer to share his grueling two-and-a-half-year struggle with debilitating symptoms following a COVID-19 vaccine, a journey marked by medical gaslighting where specialists repeatedly dismissed his pain as "coincidental" or unrelated. Eddie finally found hope and validation through doctors who discovered he was suffering from advanced micro clots and significant venous compressions. Learn about the vital need for patient advocacy and the life-changing impact of healthcare providers who prioritize listening to their patients over traditional dismissals this week's episode of the Long Haul with Summer.Learn more about the Microvascular Research Foundation and how you can help at https://mvresearch.org/

In this special holiday episode, Summer shifts from interviewing other survivors to sharing her own personal favorite things that have aided her ongoing road to recovery. Join Summer to discover integrative healing methods, with a practical toolkit for managing physical symptoms, and learn to address the cognitive and emotional toll of the illness, with mental health strategies. You will not want to miss even one of Summer's Favorite Things!Learn more about the Microvascular Research Foundation and how you can help at https://mvresearch.org/

When traditional medicine couldn't explain why her children were sick, Jenn Devilleneuve took matters into her own hands—launching a journey that would change her family's health and her entire career. In this episode, Jenn and Summer have an honest conversation about advocating for your health, navigating dismissal in the medical system, and discovering functional medicine as a powerful tool for healing.From food sensitivities and gut dysfunction to histamine issues, chronic inflammation, and rethinking "normal" labs, Jenn breaks down how small steps and deeper questions can finally lead to answers.Learn more about the Microvascular Research Foundation and how you can help at https://mvresearch.org/

In this episode of The Long Haul with Summer, we sit down with Mendel Fishman—entrepreneur, researcher, and long COVID patient—who is pioneering new diagnostic tools to transform how long COVID is identified and managed. Mendel shares his personal journey, the challenges of launching a biotech startup, and how innovative assays could help clinicians diagnose patients faster, more accurately, and with fewer financial burdens. We also discuss collaborations, upcoming clinical validations, and what he hopes policymakers, providers, and patients understand about the urgent need for long COVID research.Learn more about the Microvascular Research Foundation and how you can help at https://mvresearch.org/

What happens when two misunderstood chronic illnesses collide? Today, Summer sits down with Lyme expert and nurse practitioner Carrye Hodges, who shares her powerful story of being dismissed by doctors for years before finally receiving a Lyme diagnosis. Together, they break down the striking similarities between Lyme disease and Long COVID, why standard testing so often fails patients, and how true healing requires listening, deep investigation, and collaboration.This episode also introduces a brand-new integrative program designed for patients who have both Lyme and Long COVID — an emerging group that desperately needs answers. If you’ve been gaslit, overlooked, or told “your labs are normal,” this conversation is for you.Learn more about the Microvascular Research Foundation and how you can help at https://mvresearch.org/

On The Long Haul with Summer, we dive into real stories from real people navigating life after long COVID. In this episode, Summer sits down with Juli Carr and her daughter Sara, who open up about what happens when long COVID affects not just one person—but an entire family. From sudden fatigue and brain fog to the emotional toll of watching loved ones decline, their story reveals the fear, confusion, and ultimately the resilience that shaped their journey.Juli and Sara share how they found answers, embraced outside-the-box treatments, and supported each other through the darkest moments. They talk candidly about the risk and relief of treatment, the identity shifts that come with chronic illness, and gratitude they’ve found on the other side of healing.Join us as we explore the realities so many are still facing—and the innovative care that’s helping patients reclaim their lives.Learn more about Long COVID and how we are working to overcome it at: https://mvresearch.org/

An on-air journalist who loved working out, especially running, was left crawling on the floor in 2020. She was gaslit by multiple doctors until a Facebook post led her to Dr. Jordan Vaughn in Alabama. Triple blood thinner therapy helped her kickstart the healing process, but it was when Dr. Vaughn connected her with Dr. Brooke Spencer in Colorado where she started to find true recovery. In this episode, Jillian reveals the one mindset that kept her alive. Her nearly six-year-long fight proves it's not in your head, collaboration is key and healing is possible.

Lifelong athlete and five-time marathon runner Mary Ann Ragan details the shocking physical deterioration she experienced after a mild case of COVID-19. Known for climbing mountains over 20,000 feet, competitive tennis, and a 40-year workout regime, Mary Ann was suddenly unable to walk across her own yard or engage in extended cardio, and only received repeated medical dismissals when she sought answers. Tune in to hear how this formerly energetic patient, who went from running 10 miles on weekends to struggling with simple movements, uncovered the physical root cause of her ailment—vascular compression—which finally explained the drastic loss of her athletic abilities.

This is a special episode of The Long Haul with Summer, featuring Summer's daughter, Millie, a tiny pioneer for fighting long COVID. Millie discusses her experience with the illness, including the need for inhalers, breathing treatments every two hours, and frequent trips to the hospital. Tune in to hear Millie's wisdom on why patients must be resilient and what she wishes people understood about kids who are strong and brave while living with long COVID.

Summer Powers, an adult acute nurse practitioner and host of The Long Haul, shares her powerful testimony detailing her experience working the COVID ICU front lines before she and her daughter contracted long COVID. Plagued by symptoms like pericarditis and debilitating respiratory distress, she faced intense medical gaslighting, but her fierce determination led her to challenge conventional care and find treatment based on the micro-clotting theory with Dr. Vaughn's team. Tune in to hear how Summer moved beyond guidelines to achieve healing and now advocates for other patients suffering from this misunderstood disease.

At the Microvascular Research Foundation we believe in listening to patient voices is the foundation of clinical discovery, especially when dealing with post-acute illnesses for which there's not a book. Our founder, Dr. Vaughn discusses how physicians must synthesize patient histories and symptoms with medical knowledge to develop hypotheses and apply interventions, often leading to crucial new insights. Join Summer for our first episode and The Long Haul.