Ms. Senior Jacksonville 2013
Velma
Rounsville
A native of Kansas City, Kansas I was
raised by my grandparents. I graduated from
Sumner High School and was a member of
the “Future Business Leaders of America”. I
attended Kansas City Kansas Junior College
for 2 years and Kansas State College at
Pittsburg, Kansas for a year where I pursued
a degree in Business Administration. I
always dreamed of owning a card and gift
shop☺
In 1986 at the age of 39, I was
diagnosed with a rare skin condition called
Pemphigus Vulgaris. This was a challenging
time in my life. I was young, in the prime of
my life, and after being misdiagnosed,
battling harsh side effects of medicine and
having an almost fatal reaction to gold salt
injections, I went into a coma. The hardest
thing was my family and I being advised I
probably would not make it. I can truly say I
saw the long tunnel with the light at the end
and outline of figures at the end of the tunnel.
But the Lord was not ready for me yet! After
2 ½ months in the hospital, I was released
with oxygen. The doctors concluded I would
need it for the rest of my life. My family and
I were happy to know that in December
1986, I no longer needed oxygen and I was
on the path to regaining normalcy in my life.
One thing is for sure…. this journey helped
me realize how short and fragile life really is.