At first, we simply tried to stay upright as we processed the prognosis
My husband, Randy, and I had never considered leaving our hometown of Fort Worth, Texas. That all changed when Randy received an unexpected coaching offer in South Carolina. With little time to prepare for such a major life change, we soon found ourselves relocating to Columbia.
In Columbia, my teaching assignment was kindergarten at the then-Brockman School, a self-contained environment for students with various diagnoses and disabilities. By the end of my fifth year, I had grown comfortable navigating my students’ diverse and complex challenges.
Brockman was a dream school in many ways. In addition to providing vital ancillary services — physical, occupational, and speech therapy — the unique environment allowed me to work with students on walking (though rarely) or on maneuvering their motorized wheelchairs. When possible, I guided them around the school for different learning opportunities…