---
title: "‘One Second At A Time’: How Eddy Vera Won Her Battles with Repeated Paralysis And Cancer"
description: At a Miami gala, Eddy Vera receives Tacarigua de Oro honours, sharing faith-led resilience after Guillain‑Barré and cancer and a rebuilt speaking career.
author: Dr Marina Nani (Editor-in-Chief)
date: 2025-10-14T08:15:59.000Z
updated: 2026-08-10T17:00:01.069Z
canonical: https://richwoman.co/article/one-second-at-a-time-how-eddy-vera-won-her-battles-with-repeated-paralysis-and-cancer
image: https://cdn.nanimediahouse.com/eddy-premio-2-e1760433273799.jpg
categories: Inspiration
content_type: Profile
region: Miami
publication: Rich Woman Magazine
---

‘Live with purpose, with resilience and with great faith in God. Live one second at a time, one minute at a time, one day at a time.’ The words rang across the gold carpet at the Tacarigua de Oro USA gala at ARPI Group studios in Miami Lakes on 12 October 2025, as Eddy Vera received the ‘Special Award for Inspiration & Business Empowerment’.

This recognition follows a life marked by three separate episodes of Guillain-Barré syndrome and [a cancer diagnosis](https://richwoman.co/article/lisa-crites-beautifully-unbroken). At different times she was paralysed, quadriplegic and experienced partial loss of mobility. [According to the CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safety/about/guillain-barre.html), Guillain-Barré syndrome affects approximately one to two people per 100,000 annually in the United States. Her journey of [turning rare disease into community recognition](https://richwoman.co/article/when-your-body-betrays-you-how-one-woman-turned-rare-disease-into-community-recognition) exemplifies how she joins approximately 18.1 million cancer survivors in the United States as of January 2022, [according to the National Cancer Institute](https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/understanding/statistics).

The gala brought together prominent figures from entertainment, arts and business, with live performances by Sixto Rein, Diveana and Michel Puche. For Vera, the recognition from the Hispanic arts and business community represents something beyond accolades – it’s public acknowledgment of a speaking career rebuilt through repeated medical crises. This type of [fashion-led charity event gaining momentum](https://richwoman.co/article/fashion-led-charity-events-gain-momentum-as-powerhouses-for-health-advocacy) demonstrates how advocacy and recognition intersect powerfully.

Faith anchors the message Vera delivered in her acceptance speech. Her words reflect the spiritual foundation she brings to her speaking engagements, where vulnerability meets practical guidance. Rather than theoretical frameworks, her approach centres on lived experience navigating health crises that left her rebuilding basic functions multiple times. Like other women who have mastered the art of [winning the war within](https://richwoman.co/article/rich-monday-1-winning-the-war-within), Vera demonstrates that resilience is built one decision at a time.

The Tacarigua de Oro award arrives during a particularly active period in Vera’s speaking schedule. Recent appearances at the Latina Expo Miami Summit and the Heroes Forum preceded this recognition, with upcoming bookings at the Icon Awards on 6 November 2025 and the Camino al Éxito Conference on 15 November 2025.

Her mentoring work extends across multiple speaking formats, drawing from years of medical battles that required relearning mobility, rebuilding strength and maintaining purpose through uncertainty. Her [mission to turn setbacks into possibility](https://richwoman.co/article/from-barranquilla-to-miami-how-a-woman-on-a-mission-turns-setbacks-into-possibility) reflects a broader understanding that transformation stories provide practical roadmaps. The timing of this award signals growing recognition that survival stories matter not as inspiration but as guidance for the millions navigating their own health challenges, much like other leaders who have learned to [harness the power to overcome past trauma](https://richwoman.co/article/michelle-jewsbury-harnessing-the-power-to-overcome-past-trauma-and-take-back-your-life).

Her central message remains consistent across platforms: survival happens in small increments, measured not in dramatic breakthroughs but in the decision to continue, one moment at a time.