Ashley Groth

Ashley Groth, 21, is a VCUG survivor and Unsilenced founder from Kingston, Ontario, Canada. She is currently earning her Bachelor of Health Sciences Degree at Queen’s University and aspires to work as a pediatric/adolescent psychiatrist while also pursuing work within the healthcare quality improvement and patient safety field. Going into her career, Ashley hopes to contribute to ongoing research on adverse childhood experiences (“ACE”) and medical mistrust/distrust, and one day teach future healthcare professionals about the importance and ways of practicing trauma-informed healthcare.

 

Ashley’s longstanding passion for social justice and advocating for oppressed communities is a testament to her strength, compassion, and most of all, personal experiences. In pre-adolescence, Ashley was somewhat aware that she endured negative medical experiences in early childhood—but it wasn’t until October 2022 that she discovered the infamous studies linking VCUG trauma to child sexual abuse. Only then did she recognize the extent of the health effects on her brain and body.

 

Like so many others, Ashley managed to find the sole online forum for former VCUG patients at the time: the VCUG_Trauma subreddit, the only place where hundreds of survivors could speak freely of their lifelong pain as a result of the same procedure. After stumbling across a new website launched by a fellow survivor, Ashley immediately knew that she wanted to be as involved as possible—whatever it took to get this project off the ground.

 

Ashley’s passion for raising awareness about the long-term impacts of VCUG trauma stems from a place of sincerity, compassion, and courage. Her story is a powerful reminder of the substantial changes in personality, mood, and behavior that so many children suffer after VCUG.

 

As a young woman who has spent a lifetime dealing with the crippling consequences of her early-life procedures, including PTSD, suicidality, self-harm, and recurring health issues, Ashley truly understands how difficult it is to navigate life with a dysregulated nervous system. She’s determined to create a future where trauma-informed healthcare is implemented into every medical practice, preventing other kids from suffering the same harm she did.

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Ashley brings an irreplaceable light to our Unsilenced Community. Her quiet compassion, kindness, and loving empathy make her an invaluable member of our team. In her free time, Ashley enjoys writing, singing, dancing, and playing piano/guitar. In an alternate universe, Ashley envisions herself becoming a musician and actress—the career path her inner child always dreamed of.