From Chronic Pain to Holistic Advocate: Jaime Alefosio's Journey
Jaime's adult life is a testament to resilience, self-advocacy, and the transformative power of holistic healing. As a seasoned entrepreneur, wellness advocate, and Board Certified Exponential Health Coach , Jaime is best known as the co-founder of Hey Mary Jane (HMJ), a company specializing in microdose gummies that blend functional supplements with cannabinoids to promote holistic health. Her path into wellness was profoundly shaped by personal health challenges —particularly her struggle with undiagnosed Lyme disease —which ignited her passion for natural medicine and alternative healing methods.
Jaime’s journey began in her early twenties, marked by chronic pain initially attributed to car accidents. For years, she endured persistent pain and a host of debilitating symptoms without a clear diagnosis. Doctors prescribed hard painkillers, muscle relaxers, and opiates, but Jaime—a young single mom determined to provide for her son—found herself on a slippery slope of dependency. Seeking balance, she turned to cannabis as a natural alternative to manage her pain while maintaining her ability to work and care for her child.
Between 2011 and 2013, her interest in alternative healing methods began to grow, setting her on a journey to heal from the inside out. However, life’s challenges persisted. By 2014, a sudden divorce left her as a single mom of three, running her own business and experiencing intensified pain. Pain management doctors continued to prescribe opiates, but Jaime—frustrated by the lack of a holistic approach—chose to reject these band-aid solutions and instead dive deeper into understanding her body and its needs.
Jaime in Peru while in the midst of her healing and experiencing major inflammation and hair loss.
From 2015 to 2018, her body began sending more intense signals—Mood swings, migraines, body aches, 24 hour fevers, gut issues, night sweats, inflammation, skin issues, bloating, insomnia, brain fog, depression and extreme depressive episodes, stiffness, hair loss, air hunger, couldn’t breath or take a deep breath, extreme exhaustion, napping by 10am but then wired and tired at night. Rinse and repeat. This was getting scary! Washing the dishes was exhausting. She's concerned. Her kids, who are still young, are wondering if mommy is ok? She struggles to keep a game face on.
We are almost to the good part, keep reading!
Regular visits to doctors yielded standard results, leaving her without answers but with more prescriptions to mask her symptoms. She refused to go down this path, instead diving deeper into understanding her body, experimenting with yoga, diet changes, and other holistic practices, while continuing to use cannabis to manage her pain.
She didn’t give up, she started incorporating exercise, cannabis microdosing, and education through reading and researching. She also learned she had the power to say NO to band-aids. NO to “you’re fine," NO to “your lab results are perfect," and NO to “let's give you this pill to mask your symptoms.”
Her passion for the plant medicine grew. Not only does she continue to consume, she reads, and she reads some more. Publications on herbs, cannabis, and the endocannabinoid system. She's so passionate about the plant that she begins to invest and partner in the industry.
Discovering Lyme Disease: A Turning Point in Jaime’s Health
It wasn’t until a friend suggested looking into autoimmune disorders that Jaime finally found a breakthrough. She sought out Dr. Mae Kinaly at Integrative Medicine Orange County. For the first time in years, she felt seen and heard. Comprehensive testing revealed Lyme disease and co-infections, validating her years of suffering. Though conventional treatment recommended a six month course of antibiotics, she advocated for a more holistic approach, which Dr. Kinaly supported.
Her regimen included a barrage of supplements, high-dose Vitamin C IVs, ozone therapy, and other advanced treatments offered by Integrative Medicine Orange County. She continued using cannabis. With her new found knowledge, she's now microdosing to manage inflammation and other Lyme symptoms.
A glimpse into Jaime's "barrage of supplements."
By 2019, feeling about 30% improved, Jaime discovered Believe Me by Yolanda Hadid, a book that profoundly resonated with her experiences. She read the book in three days. There were many, many tears and feelings of encouragement . This revelation led her to have her breast implants removed, a decision that marked another significant step in her healing journey.
Later that year, she explored spiritual healing in Peru, including the transformative experiences of Kambo and Ayahuasca ceremonies. The profound healing from Kambo notably eradicated her chronic pain. This was a turning point!
Jaime taking part in a Kambo ceremony, to which she attributes the most profound part of her healing.
The Founding of Hey Mary Jane: Microdosing for Health
Having done a 180, she sought to minimize her daily supplement intake, focusing on potent herbs and cannabinoids to maintain body homeostasis. This journey culminated in the creation of HMJ, a wellness brand designed to provide discreet, aesthetically pleasing, and effective relief. HMJ's products are the result of her deep knowledge and personal experience, aimed at helping others on their journeys to optimal health and well-being. With the help of co-founders Jaymes Moore, who is creative director, and Chris Sarkissian, Global Strategy Leader at HMJ, HMJ was born!
Becoming a Certified Exponential Health Coach
Jaime has recently earned a certification as a Board-Certified Exponential Health Coach. This credential reflects her dedication to empowering others to achieve optimal health through integrative and holistic approaches. She is currently pursuing her PhD in Natural Medicine, further deepening her expertise in cutting-edge wellness solutions.
