“At the time of my accident, I was 22 and had only been married for a little over three weeks,” Patton said. “After my accident, I was in a coma for over two months and had to undergo intensive rehabilitation.”
Patton says that her family was told that if she ever came out of the coma that she would not be able to live a normal life because of the extent of the injuries to her brain. The medical professionals were wrong.
“ My right sides is paralyzed and I suffered from short-term memory loss. I had to relearn everything, which was a challenge. But I did it,” Patton said.
Eight years after her accident, Patton obtained her General Education Diploma (GED) and received assistance from the Cherokee Nation’s Vocational Rehabilitation Program to attend college classes.
“Attending classes was difficult in the beginning because of the memory loss,” Patton said. “The instructors really worked with me and with financial assistance from voc-rehab, I completed a bachelor of science degree.”
Cherokee Nation Vocational Rehabilitation provides assistance to Native Americans who have disabilities, helping with the costs associated to acquiring the skills needed to find or maintain gainful employment. Services provided include counseling and guidance, classroom training, support services and interviewing skills, as well as other resources.
To be considered for the Cherokee Nation’s Vocational Rehabilitation Program, applicants must be a member of a federally-recognized Native American tribe, reside in the 14-county jurisdictional area of the Cherokee Nation, have a mental or physical disability which interferes with employability and be someone who can benefit from services rendered. The program has served consumers with a variety of disabilities including spinal cord injury, amputation, alcohol dependency, substance abuse dependence, deafness and hearing loss, orthopedic impairments, diabetes, back disorders, asthma, seizure disorders, traumatic brain injuries, visual impairments and learning disabilities.
“Deborah is an amazing young woman and a testament to what this program is about,” Karen Hawkins, vocational rehabilitation counselor, said.
“The Cherokee Nation and its employees have been very good to me.” Patton said. “ The voc-rehab staff devote a lot of time to their clients. I encourage other people with disabilities to take part in voc-rehab. I couldn’t have completed my degree plan without them.”
Today, Patton works as a counselor for a non-profit organization. She conducts one-on-one and group counseling sessions for drug prevention and acts as a client advocate for the organization.
“My job allows me to help people and to remind them to never give up,” Patton said. “To other people in my position or a similar situation, I say don’t give up hope. As long as you have the will and the courage, you can succeed.”
