The Ho*Spice Inspiration: Barbara Gooding

It’s hard to find a more inspiration and tragedy in the same story.

Barbara Gooding was born in 1950, the fourth of an eventual 13 child family. Always a natural caretaker, Barbara was pretending to cook at the stove in 1955 and accidentally caught her nightgown on fire. The blaze burned over 75% of her body, mostly her face and hands. Barbara spent most of her 5th year in the hospital, and remained in and out of the hospital for reconstructive surgeries for over a decade. Despite all the challenges, Barbara reported an always happy childhood with such a large family.

After so many years in a hospital, Barbara decided to dedicate her life in service of others. She graduated from nursing school and immediately joined the Peace Corps before returning to California and the hospital system. Barbara’s career spanned intensive care units along the West Coast, most notably Swedish Medical Center in Seattle. Through it all, Barbara fell in love, married, and raised four children in the Seattle area. She owned homes in Bothell and Port Angeles, Washington. Outside of the hospital, she enjoyed gardening, playing tennis, and baking bread. In the later parts of her career, Barbara donated her time to disaster response efforts around the globe.

Just at retirement in August 2012, Barbara tumbled out of bed escaping a spider and landed at the base of her neck. The fall left her quadriplegic. Barbara’s condition has drained her bank account but not her spirit, and she’s still convinced someday she’ll walk. Barbara’s eight grandchildren give her life. Today she lives in her home in Northern California.