Saving Lives Two Hands at a Time
Valerie Whiddon did not plan on having her life redirected on the side of a Texas road. The sound of metal folding, the stillness after impact, and the calm presence of first responders during a devastating rollover accident became a moment that quietly reshaped everything she thought she knew about her future. “Life is about 10% of the bad things that happen to you, and 90% of how you choose to move forward from them.”
At the time, Whiddon was preparing for nursing school, stacking dual credit classes and scholarships with intention. Two weeks after the crash, doctors discovered a mass on her brainstem. At nineteen, she underwent a right craniotomy and woke up facing a reflection she did not recognize. Bald patches. Scars.
Uncertainty. “I remember staring in the mirror and feeling lost.”
From Survival to Service
Recovery demanded more than physical healing. Emotionally, Whiddon wrestled with questions that lingered long after the surgery scars faded. Who am I now? Will I ever feel like myself again? Slowly, something shifted. She stopped asking God why it happened to her and started asking what she was meant to do next.
Pageantry reentered her life during this season, not as glamour, but as growth. Competing again forced her outside her comfort zone and helped rebuild the confidence that trauma had shaken. More importantly, the accident redirected her purpose. The compassion of the first responders who helped her family stayed with her. Whiddon changed her career path from nursing to Emergency Medical Services so she could be that calm presence for someone else on one of the worst days of their life.
Today, she serves as an EMT, a paramedic student, and an American Heart Association CPR instructor. Each role reinforces why she chose this path. “I wanted to pay forward the compassion I received.”
Putting Lifesaving Power Into Everyday Hands
Whiddon’s platform grew directly from what she witnessed both as a patient and as a first responder. “A lot of people don’t know how to properly do CPR, or they’re afraid of doing so.” That fear costs lives, especially for women. Women in cardiac arrest are less likely to receive bystander CPR.
As Miss Lonestar, running for Miss Texas for America Strong, Whiddon travels across Texas teaching Hands-Only CPR and AED use, reminding communities that you do not need a medical background to save a life. This year alone, she has taught over fifty people CPR. She also distributes Narcan to help combat the opioid crisis, another way to put lifesaving tools into the hands of everyday people.
Women’s health advocacy is woven through her work. Her experience with a brainstem mass taught her the importance of early detection, self-advocacy, and mental health support during recovery. She speaks openly about the emotional side of healing because women deserve to feel seen and supported.
“If my story inspires even one person to learn CPR, carry Narcan, or prioritize their health, then every challenge I’ve faced has been worth it.”
“Life is about 10% of the bad things that happen to you, and 90% of how you choose to move forward from them.”