Surviving a monthlong coma after surgical complications, Rebecca Griffin was told she would never walk again. Worse yet, she faced lifelong confinement to a nursing home bed, away from the center of her world — her family.

Although her prognosis was grim, Rebecca’s spirit was not.

Before her illness, she worked long hours on her feet in retail management while she finished her English degree. When she wasn’t working, Rebecca cared for her husband and homeschooled their youngest child. Life was busy but fulfilling.

Everything Went Wrong

Rheumatoid arthritis led Rebecca to seek medical advice when she was unable to join in her son’s favorite sports. Then a routine double-knee replacement surgery took a devastating turn, leaving her in a medically induced coma for a month.

“Everything went wrong,” she recalls. “My heart stopped and my kidneys shut down. I needed a ventilator and a trach. They told my family I wouldn’t make it.”

When she awoke, she was paralyzed from the neck down, unable to speak.

Rebecca received care in the hospital, then later in a nursing home. She was told she would never live independently, and the nursing home began preparing her to become a lifelong resident, confined to her hospital bed.

But Rebecca had other plans.

Defying the Odds

Determined to recover, Rebecca focused on two heart-shaped stress balls her husband gave her, struggling to regain movement in her fingers.

“I tried so hard to squeeze those little hearts. Finally, I got to the point where I could move two fingers. I knew if I could do that, I could get some other movement back,” she says.

As Rebecca regained more movement in her hands and arms, she defied medical advice and returned home. With constant care from her husband, she eventually gained enough mobility to move around her house.

Knowing she was unable to return to traditional employment, Rebecca started looking into other options.

“I knew that the world wasn’t going to change for me, so I had to learn how to fit into it,” she says.

A New Path

With her background in English studies and grant writing experience, Rebecca joined some online writing groups. She wrote articles and completed two books. Then a writer from one of her groups encouraged her to look into copywriting.

Rebecca did some research and found American Writers and Artists Institute (AWAI).

“I read through some of the content on AWAI’s site and started attending their free webinars. All of their resources are amazing. I felt really comfortable, and I trusted them. I never felt the need to look anywhere else,” she says.

Rebecca signed up for AWAI’s flagship course, TheAccelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting (now The Accelerated Program for Seven-Figure Copywriting). Before completing the program, she landed her first big client when a tourism bureau spotted a small article she had written.

“They approached me about writing an article on the tombs of New Orleans,” Rebecca says. “It was my first big project, and I loved it. It proved to me that I can get higher-paying clients.”

After that, her writing career picked up speed. Rebecca landed some retainer clients and wrote for different industries, including forensics, cybersecurity, construction, and travel. Later that year, she joined Circle of Success (COS), AWAI’s highest level of membership.

“When I joined COS, clients were asking me to write different projects I hadn’t done before,” Rebecca says. “I knew that COS membership would give me access to all of their programs, so I could learn the skills I needed as new things came up. And it was so helpful — everything from setting up your business to writing specific projects.”

As a COS member, she attended AWAI’s FastTrack to Copywriting Success Bootcamp. Although she attended virtually, she caught the attention of AWAI and a marketer with the quality of her writing submissions.

With the help of AWAI, Rebecca continued to grow and expand her skills. Soon she realized she had a talent for SEO.

“I’ve had many clients tell me that they’re ranking so much higher since I started working with them,” she says. “Before that, I couldn’t choose a niche. I like to do a lot of different things. But I really enjoy using SEO to help people with their businesses.”

Rebecca knew she was a “real writer” when her husband began bragging to his family about her accomplishments.

“Early on, he didn’t think I would make any money doing this,” she says, laughing. “Now he wants to call his brother, his sister, and everybody to tell them what I’m doing.”

Freedom, Family, and a Flexible Schedule

With her medical scare behind her, Rebecca cherishes each day with her family. The flexibility of her writing career allows her to manage her ongoing medical challenges, homeschool her son, and support her husband through his cancer diagnosis.

She works comfortably from home without the strain of commuting or standing for long periods. And she found the balance she was looking for.

“My day starts pretty early,” she says. “I write while my son does his schoolwork. I put a light on when I’m talking to a client and can’t be disturbed. When the light is off, he knows he can come in with any questions. I can get my work done without missing out on family time. There’s no way I could do that at a regular job.” 

Rebecca also has some big plans for the future.

“I want to continue my SEO work and take on more clients. I’m pursuing some passive income ideas. And I plan to write more books. Right now, I’m finishing a book on copywriting and one on how SEO writers can help businesses,” she says.

Through it all, Rebecca maintains her important role as caregiver for her family. She credits AWAI for the writing career that provides her the freedom and flexibility she needs.

“Now my life fits my needs and my family,” she says. “I can choose to take on more work, or fewer projects when I need to take care of my health or my husband. I don’t know of another career that would allow me to do that.”

Ready to pursue the writer’s life?

Learn more about the program that helped launch Melanie’s career, The Accelerated Program for Seven-Figure Copywriting.