Stronger Than Before: One Patient’s Journey from a Difficult Recovery to Helping Others

By: Carla Palmer

Hoping to one day undergo in vitro fertilization and start a family, Venezuelan native Alaya de Bastos underwent surgery in 2024 to remove an ovarian cyst. What she expected to be one step toward parenthood became a months-long journey she never could have anticipated.

De Bastos, 37, had spent the better part of a decade rebuilding her life in the United States. A dentist in Venezuela, she moved to Miami about eight years ago, passed her board exams, and was preparing to apply to universities when her own health unexpectedly took center stage.

Because she had undergone multiple surgeries since childhood, she had a lot of scar tissue throughout her abdomen that made her recovery far more complicated than anyone could have foreseen. De Bastos ultimately required several emergency operations and months of healing.

“I went through a lot of procedures, lost my hair, and experienced many emotional moments,” she said. “But I always tried to stay positive. The experience made me stronger than I was before.”

When she developed a serious intestinal complication, de Bastos was brought into the care of Ricardo Collazo, MD, a general surgeon with Jackson Medical Group, for emergency surgery.

“She had a very difficult abdomen to deal with and an extremely complicated surgical history,” Dr. Collazo explained. “She ended up needing multiple surgeries so her body could heal safely.”

To give her body the time it needed to recover, Dr. Collazo performed a temporary colostomy and placed an ostomy bag — a pouch worn outside the body that collects waste when part of the intestine needs time to heal. By diverting waste away from the affected area of her intestines, the tissue was able to recover.

After months of healing and additional procedures, he was able to reconnect her intestines and reverse the ostomy, allowing her to return to life without the bag.

Though always meant to be temporary, the months she spent living with ostomy bag became one of the most demanding chapters of her recovery — physically, emotionally, and socially.

“One of the hardest parts was emptying the bag,” she said. “In public bathrooms, it was stressful and embarrassing. I kept thinking about older patients or people with mobility issues dealing with this every day.”

Through it all, de Bastos held onto hope.

“Honestly, I never felt defeated,” she said. “Dr. Collazo gave me confidence and peace during the process.”

Dr. Collazo points to her mindset and determination as central to how well she recovered.

“She went through a lot,” he said. “But now, she’s gaining weight again, working out, living a completely normal life, and doing excellent.”

That same resolve gave her recovery an unexpected purpose. Along the way, de Bastos began noticing the daily frustrations that so many ostomy patients quietly endure — leaks, discomfort, skin irritation, and the anxiety of managing a bag in public. Rather than accept them, she set out to solve them.

Drawing on her own experience, de Bastos developed a patented disposable liner system designed to make emptying ostomy bags cleaner, easier, and more private for both patients and the healthcare workers who assist them. The system aims to reduce the splashing, odor, contamination, and mess that often come with emptying an ostomy bag.

“One of my biggest goals is improving quality of life for patients,” she said. “Before officially bringing it to market, I want honest feedback from patients and nurses to know if it truly helps them.”

Dr. Collazo believes the idea holds real promise because it comes from someone who has lived it.

“One of the biggest struggles patients face is the emotional and practical stress of managing an ostomy in daily life,” he said. “Her idea focuses on comfort, dignity, and reducing that stigma.”

Today, de Bastos hopes that sharing her story will encourage others facing hard recoveries to hold onto hope — and to remember they’re stronger than they realize.

“What I went through was very hard emotionally and physically,” she said. “But if my story can help even one person feel less alone or inspire them to keep going, then it’s worth sharing.”