Jacqueline Nuesch grew up in rural Saskatchewan in a traditional Catholic farming family, with little exposure to alternative health practices. An active athlete in gymnastics, track, and volleyball, her health was derailed in grade 12 when she contracted Epstein-Barr virus (mono). The illness left her with chronic fatigue, nutrient malabsorption, and autoimmune weakness that followed her into university, where depression and restless legs compounded her struggles. A turning point came when she met Barbara Hegy, a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner and acupuncturist, whose treatments transformed her health and introduced her to the world of natural remedies.

In this interview, Jacqueline recounts her early battles with mono and depression, and how mainstream medicine offered little hope. Acupuncture quickly relieved her restless legs and insomnia, opening her eyes to natural health’s potential. Guided by Barbara’s mentorship and shelves of books, Jacqueline became a lifelong learner and advocate for natural medicine. She shares stories of nutritional breakthroughs, omega-3s reversing suicidal depression, and books like *What Your Doctor Doesn’t Know About Nutritional Medicine* that reshaped her understanding of health. Now free of medications for decades, she reflects on how natural health saved her life and improved the lives of those she’s helped. Her message to Ottawa is urgent: Canadians must retain access to vitamins, herbs, and traditional remedies—time-tested for thousands of years—because for many, like her, they are the difference between life and death.