UM grad back home after overseas health scare

Published 9:52 am Thursday, January 10, 2019

A former University of Mississippi student is back in the country following a traumatic medical emergency overseas.

Caroline Bradner was working in Thailand as an English teacher when she became paralyzed from the neck down. She woke up a few days before Christmas to discover she could only move her head and nothing else.

The Ole Miss graduate, with a degree in marketing, was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome, causing temporary paralysis. It is an immune system condition that attacks the body’s nervous system. Bradner spent a couple weeks in a Thailand hospital while her family worked to find a way to bring their daughter home.

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While working with HCC Medical Insurance services, Bradner’s parents were able to get the company to fly her back to her home in Richmond, Virginia last week. Since then she has been continuing physical therapy at a local hospital.

“Thank you so much for your love, your support and all your donations. You have no idea how much it means to my family and I,” Bradner said in a video posted to social media on Tuesday morning. “I can’t wait to come home and see everyone. Thank you so much.”

The video was posted onto Bradner’s father’s, Jim Bradner, personal Facebook page.

Bradner’s brother, Peirce, to help raise money to try and bring his sister home, created a GoFundMe account on New Year’s Eve. In the nine days the fundraiser has been active, they have surpassed the goal of $70,000 with a total of $76,051. Nearly 1,000 people have donated.