Traci Lyden, a mother of four and a grandmother to five, along with her husband, embarked on a new journey, relocating to South Carolina in 2013 for exciting career prospects and ultimately finding them in Summerville, SC. Traci has been in healthcare since 1987 on different levels of patient care. In 2001 she launched her career in EMS as a Volunteer Firefighter/First Responder. Over time, she advanced her skills and acquired qualifications such as FF1, EMT-Basic, EMT-Advanced, Paramedic certifications, Certified Ambulance Documentation Specialist, and QA/QI Certified Specialist.Presently, Traci renders her services at Orangeburg County EMS in multiple roles – as a Paramedic, Lieutenant/ FTO, QA/QI, and Instructor. Her quest for learning and imparting knowledge led her to establish a mobile training center, ensuring access to state-of-the-art information and education encompassing areas like CPR, First Aid, AED, and “Stop the Bleed”.
In 2022, Traci encountered a pivotal point in her life, a moment of despair where she contemplated self-harm. Realizing the gravity of her mental health situation in that alarming instance, she reached out for help. She found solace and recovery in Florida at FHE’s Shatterproof, a specialized recovery program designed for first responders and military personnel, where she spent a transformative 72 days. There, Traci acquired several therapeutic tools and techniques, learning to grapple with the significant trauma that had haunted her since infancy and had impacted her entire experience of adulthood, severely affecting her daily life. Following her departure from Shatterproof, Traci returned home, and returned to EMS. She continues to work diligently with a therapist, striving every day to improve and become stronger than she was yesterday.