In the Valley of Achor

Is it possible to go to sleep a vibrant, healthy, and active individual - and wake up, paralyzed, from the waist down? The frightening answer is, "Yes!" Patricia Brandon was newly retired, an avid tennis player, and had just returned from active trips to the mountains and the beach. Just three days away from her first trip to Europe, she was faced with sudden and frightening paralysis. What would she do? Would she ever be able to walk again? How would she live her life now? This is the story of one woman's journey. Patricia Brandon was an elementary school counselor and educator for 34 years, and also served as a special needs consultant for the SC State Dept. of Social Services. As a licensed professional counselor, she worked part-time for The Child and Adult Outpatient Counseling Center at The Carolina Children's Home in Columbia, South Carolina, and continued to work there, post-retirement. She is a mediator for The Midlands Mediation Center, and Family Courts in Richland and Lexington counties in South Carolina. Patricia enjoyed playing tennis, riding bikes, camping, attending music festivals and concerts, and still plays guitar and sings in the contemporary service at her church. She hopes to continue traveling, spending time with her daughters and friends, and plans to write a fiction novel or two. She currently lives in Columbia, South Carolina.