July 9, 2024
Indigenous Underground: Chef Erica McCier's Rise in South Carolina's Culinary Scene
In this episode, I sit down with Chef Erica McCier at Indigenous Underground in Abbeville, South Carolina—a restaurant built from courage, creativity, and an incredible personal journey. Erica shares how her life changed after developing a serious kidney disease that left her hospitalized for months and forced her to rethink everything she thought her future would look like. What began as a hobby while sitting through dialysis treatments—watching cooking shows and enrolling in culinary classes—slowly turned into a new calling.
Today, Erica is not only the chef and owner of Indigenous Underground, but also a 2023 South Carolina Chef Ambassador, representing the state’s culinary culture across festivals and events. In our conversation, we talk about the challenges of starting a restaurant during the pandemic, the creative underground dining experiences that helped launch her business, and the powerful moments that remind her why food—and community—matter so much.
Episode Highlights
[01:25] – Erica shares her journey from middle school art teacher to chef after a life-changing kidney disease diagnosis.
[04:14] – While undergoing dialysis treatments, she discovers a passion for cooking through Food Network and enrolls in culinary school.
[05:22] – What begins as cooking for family and friends quickly grows into a thriving catering and private chef business.
[08:09] – Erica takes a leap of faith and invests her last $1,000 to lease the building that would become Indigenous Underground.
[09:51] – When COVID halted restaurant construction, she launched a creative underground dining series to generate revenue and build momentum.
[14:35] – Erica reflects on becoming a South Carolina Chef Ambassador and representing the state’s culinary culture.
[20:33] – A powerful moment with a guest who had followed Erica’s health journey reminds her why her work matters.
[24:17] – Erica explains why Abbeville feels less like a town and more like family.
Links and Resources
Indigenous Underground: https://www.indigenousunderground.com/
Audio and Video: Melanie Lech Multimedia
Special Thanks to Old 96 District
Follow Amelia
Instagram: @AmeliaOldOfficial
Website: https://AmeliaOld.com
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider following the podcast and leaving a rating or review wherever you listen. It helps more people discover these stories—and helps voices like Erica’s continue to inspire others who may be facing their own turning point.
Chapters
00:03 - Stories of Resilience
14:13 - Chef Ambassador Journey of Resilience
24:17 - Ties That Bind
28:22 - Culinary Artist's Soulful Journey
Transcript
WEBVTT
00:00:03.849 --> 00:00:05.112
Everyone has a story to tell.
00:00:05.112 --> 00:00:08.509
We connect and relate to one another when we share our stories.
00:00:08.509 --> 00:00:12.109
My name is Amelia Old and I am your host of Voices of Inspiration.
00:00:12.109 --> 00:00:17.288
Join me as I share stories of friends, family and strangers from my everyday life and travels.
00:00:17.288 --> 00:00:25.349
We will laugh, possibly cry or walk away, feeling connected more than ever to those around you and ready to be the change our world needs.
00:00:25.349 --> 00:00:27.385
Everyone has a story to tell.
00:00:27.385 --> 00:00:28.489
What's yours?
00:00:36.881 --> 00:00:38.487
Welcome to Voices of Inspiration.
00:00:38.487 --> 00:00:55.435
I'm your host, amelia Old, and today we are here in Abbeville, south Carolina, at Indigenous Underground, with owner and chef, erica Messier, and also 2023 South Carolina Chef Ambassador.
00:00:55.435 --> 00:00:56.957
Yes, that's correct.
00:00:57.119 --> 00:00:59.287
Thank you so much for having us here.
00:00:59.287 --> 00:01:03.792
I have to say, we've eaten here before and the food is incredible.
00:01:03.792 --> 00:01:06.248
Thank you, I appreciate that so much.
00:01:06.248 --> 00:01:10.671
Well, thank you for having us here and to share a little bit about your story.
00:01:10.671 --> 00:01:21.990
So can you just start off by sharing the story of your journey from a middle school teacher to a chef, because those are very different.
00:01:21.990 --> 00:01:24.920
What inspired you to pursue cooking?
00:01:24.959 --> 00:01:28.055
because those are very different.
00:01:28.055 --> 00:01:28.980
What inspired you to pursue cooking?
00:01:28.980 --> 00:01:45.111
Well, first of all, I was born and raised right here in Abbeville County, pretty much been here my entire life, with the exception of when I went off finished college.
00:01:45.111 --> 00:01:55.450
I moved back here, got my master's degree at Lambda University and decided to become a visual arts teacher.
00:01:55.450 --> 00:02:07.102
So I taught for 10 years here at the middle school, wright Middle School in Abbeville, and during my tenth year of teaching I developed kidney disease.
00:02:07.102 --> 00:02:12.262
It was polycystic kidney disease, so you know, it was very unexpected.
00:02:12.262 --> 00:02:22.645
I went through a near-death experience with that, ended up on life support for four months.
00:02:22.645 --> 00:02:32.707
So I was in the hospital for a total of like six months and the thing is, my whole life just changed.
00:02:32.707 --> 00:02:45.037
I was that mom slash teacher who was always active, you know, in my children's activities, school activities, community activities, activities.
00:02:45.037 --> 00:02:46.400
I was just all over the place.
00:02:47.001 --> 00:03:17.633
So all of a sudden now I am on dialysis three days a week, going through a lot of therapy, you know, because, remember, I Also went through almost a year of depression because I just felt like, you know, life had just stopped for me.
00:03:17.633 --> 00:03:22.665
Everything that I had planned on doing it was like I couldn't do it.
00:03:22.665 --> 00:03:33.941
Now, you know, um, my plans were to go back to school, you know, get my PhD, and I mean I had all planned out what I was going to do in the next five years.
00:03:33.941 --> 00:03:45.193
But hey you, you kind of figure out that as things progress in your life, what you have planned is not necessarily meant for you.
00:03:45.193 --> 00:04:00.608
So now I'm on dialysis three days a week, sitting there, um, in the little recliner, you know, watching tv, and all of a sudden I just get hooked on food network and the cooking channel.
00:04:00.608 --> 00:04:12.088
It's like every day I started watching these channels, nothing else, and I'm just sitting there thinking, you know, they make that look so easy.
00:04:12.088 --> 00:04:14.241
I think I could do this, I think I could do that.
00:04:14.281 --> 00:04:18.290
So one day I just decided, hey, I need a hobby.
00:04:18.290 --> 00:04:27.372
Pulled out my cell phone, google culinary schools near me and Greenville Tech popped up, which I did not know, that Greenville Tech had a culinary program.
00:04:27.372 --> 00:04:35.867
So I went there and I went to visit, toured the campus and I said, well, I need a hobby, I need something to fill in this extra time.
00:04:35.867 --> 00:04:46.720
So I went to dialysis Monday, tuesday, monday, wednesday, friday, drove to Greenville on Tuesday and Thursdays and start taking culinary classes.
00:04:46.720 --> 00:04:54.894
Wow, upon, you know doing that, traveling back and forth to Greenville taking classes.
00:04:54.894 --> 00:05:02.343
I just started cooking for family and friends and they were like you know you should become like a private chef or a personal chef.
00:05:02.343 --> 00:05:08.154
So I just started dabbling into that, doing a little small dinner parties for family and friends.
00:05:08.154 --> 00:05:10.144
And next thing, you know, I'm getting calls.
00:05:10.144 --> 00:05:15.103
Can you cater, you know, for my social club, can you cater for my women's group?
00:05:15.103 --> 00:05:20.074
And next thing, you know, I'm catering for like groups of 400 people.
00:05:21.500 --> 00:05:21.641
And.
00:05:22.081 --> 00:05:26.653
I started all this right in my little small kitchen at my house.
00:05:26.653 --> 00:05:32.733
So after that, you know, I worked in different establishments.
00:05:32.733 --> 00:05:34.319
Well, I did.
00:05:34.319 --> 00:05:35.321
Let me rewind.
00:05:35.321 --> 00:05:43.567
I did get my kidney transplant my first kidney transplant, because I've had two since all of that.
00:05:43.567 --> 00:05:55.456
So after getting my transplant, I just decided okay, I'm going to start my own business, my own personal chef and catering business.
00:05:55.456 --> 00:06:00.112
But in the meantime I worked at different establishments here in Abbeville.
00:06:00.920 --> 00:06:10.226
My very first one was the Village Grill, which is right up the street from here you may be like what which is right up the street from here, maybe like what 500 feet up the street, but that's where I that's home.
00:06:11.043 --> 00:06:23.142
Village Grill is home to me and Bill and Molly are like my second parents and until this day they give me, they are like my greatest support system they are.
00:06:23.142 --> 00:06:25.310
My first restaurant was at the Belmont Inn.
00:06:25.310 --> 00:06:29.430
You know, some people say, do you regret things in life?
00:06:29.430 --> 00:06:42.184
And I'm like, no, I really don't regret things in life, because what happened when I went into the Belmont Inn and I started my own foods, my own restaurant business was really booming.
00:06:42.184 --> 00:06:44.105
I wasn't ready.
00:06:44.105 --> 00:06:49.490
I was a single mother of three, all under the age of 18.
00:06:49.490 --> 00:06:54.156
And I thought that I was ready to own a restaurant.
00:06:54.156 --> 00:06:55.576
No, I was not ready.
00:06:55.576 --> 00:07:10.305
Decision that my family was more important than making money.
00:07:10.305 --> 00:07:17.865
So I stepped away from there and just continued to do my catering personal chef business and later on I began teaching at Abbeville County Career Center.
00:07:19.206 --> 00:07:26.286
I was out there for four years and while teaching there this building became available.
00:07:26.286 --> 00:07:40.923
The story behind this building is when I worked right up at the Village Grill, I would pass by here every single night, going home and thinking that would make a cool restaurant, even though it was other people you know, at least in the building.
00:07:40.923 --> 00:07:41.386
At the time.
00:07:41.386 --> 00:07:54.427
I was like that would make a really cool restaurant and everything that I envisioned this restaurant being, the old open kitchen concept, um, the atmosphere, even down to the black walls.
00:07:54.427 --> 00:07:56.834
You know I had envisioned that back then.
00:07:56.834 --> 00:08:04.430
So when the building finally came up, became available the previously seized, you know.
00:08:04.430 --> 00:08:05.312
She contacted me.
00:08:05.312 --> 00:08:07.154
She said hey, you can get your building now.
00:08:08.459 --> 00:08:09.302
Now's the time.
00:08:09.362 --> 00:08:14.793
Yes, hey, you know, teachers don't make any money not enough money anyway.
00:08:15.339 --> 00:08:20.209
And plus me, you know, still single mother, three kids.
00:08:20.209 --> 00:08:28.651
I'm like, do I really want to do this, even though now you know my youngest, he's in his junior year in high school.
00:08:28.651 --> 00:08:31.728
I do, I really want to step back out there and do this.
00:08:31.728 --> 00:08:42.575
I think I took my last thousand dollars that I had in the bank and I sat there with a money order and I was sitting in my classroom just looking at that money order.
00:08:42.575 --> 00:08:45.929
My students were like, chef, why are you just looking at that paper?
00:08:45.929 --> 00:08:48.028
And I said, well, I'm thinking about opening a restaurant.
00:08:48.028 --> 00:09:01.153
But I'm like, do I want to take my last $1,000 and give these people, you know, for, give this to the landlord for down payment.
00:09:01.153 --> 00:09:03.279
You know, to lease this building.
00:09:03.279 --> 00:09:08.265
And you know my students, you just had to know if they were rude me on yes, chef, go ahead and do it.
00:09:08.326 --> 00:09:09.870
I was like, yeah, because it's not your money.
00:09:10.059 --> 00:09:13.687
Right, but I just kind of stepped out on faith.
00:09:13.687 --> 00:09:21.222
And you know, I always told my students that once you jump off that mountain, you're going to learn how to fly.
00:09:21.222 --> 00:09:24.405
And they threw that back at me.
00:09:24.405 --> 00:09:26.268
They was like so you're not going to jump off the mountain?
00:09:26.268 --> 00:09:28.711
Huh, it was like you know, you're going to fly.
00:09:28.870 --> 00:09:29.652
They were listening.
00:09:29.652 --> 00:09:32.073
They were listening Right, right so.
00:09:32.193 --> 00:09:33.615
I jumped off that mountain.
00:09:51.259 --> 00:09:51.440
But when?
00:09:51.460 --> 00:09:52.981
I jumped off that mountain.
00:09:52.981 --> 00:09:58.850
I did not know that we were going to have a COVID shutdown, because I got this building September 2019 with plans on opening summer 2020.
00:09:58.850 --> 00:10:01.134
And of course that didn't happen, Everything just you know, completely stopped.
00:10:01.134 --> 00:10:05.519
Couldn't get anybody in here to do any type of construction or maintenance on the building.
00:10:06.480 --> 00:10:22.894
There were plenty of nights that I cried because I was like, oh my goodness, maybe I should have did this and I should have kept my thousand dollars, but I just had to think of a creative way to make revenue.
00:10:22.894 --> 00:10:57.567
So once the world opened back up and people wanted to get back out and start doing things, I decided to contact all of my clients who I had been doing the private dinners for or catering for of the private dinners for or catering for, emailed them all and I said, hey, how would you like to experience a four course meal in an undisclosed location with live entertainment and with a meal by me, and this, that and the other?
00:10:57.567 --> 00:11:02.447
I got a ton of response back.
00:11:02.447 --> 00:11:04.947
I was like these people not gonna come out.
00:11:05.100 --> 00:11:16.267
You know, right after COVID I had tons of clients to contact me and I went to the city and I said, well, I know I can't open this up as a restaurant.
00:11:16.267 --> 00:11:18.606
Can I hold private events there?
00:11:18.606 --> 00:11:20.511
They were like, yeah, you could do that.
00:11:20.511 --> 00:11:21.077
You know you could do that.
00:11:21.077 --> 00:11:23.225
You know you could be an event hall.
00:11:23.225 --> 00:11:38.889
So I was like, okay, we're going to throw up the big black curtains, we're going to close all the windows so nobody knows what's going on in here and I started a series of underground dining.
00:11:38.889 --> 00:11:42.417
That's where the underground comes from, in the name indigenous.
00:11:42.417 --> 00:11:45.022
We started doing underground dining.
00:11:45.022 --> 00:11:52.934
The guests who bought tickets didn't know where the event was going to be.
00:11:52.934 --> 00:12:02.592
They only knew it was in Abbeville Once they paid for their seats, that's when the official email would go out and they knew it was here.
00:12:02.714 --> 00:12:06.346
So a lot of people didn't even know that I was working on a restaurant here.
00:12:06.346 --> 00:12:08.091
They never knew.
00:12:08.091 --> 00:12:09.240
Wow.
00:12:09.240 --> 00:12:15.196
And with the big black curtains up, people would pass by and they was like what's going on in here?
00:12:15.196 --> 00:12:24.629
I could see people peeking through the little cracks trying to see what we were doing up in here, but it was like secret dining that we were doing.
00:12:24.629 --> 00:12:25.792
How creative.
00:12:25.892 --> 00:12:26.754
How creative.
00:12:26.919 --> 00:12:28.384
That's how I built the revenue.
00:12:28.384 --> 00:12:32.067
Wow For this place to get it up and running.
00:12:32.287 --> 00:12:33.009
What a story.
00:12:33.009 --> 00:12:50.601
First of all, I want to say to you it's important to me with this podcast that we share our personal stories, because I always say you know, eventually at some point you're going to say something or I'm going to say something and we're going to go oh yeah, me too, I've been there, I understand, I can relate.
00:12:50.601 --> 00:12:54.231
Or someone's listening or watching and they go oh yeah, me too, I've been there.
00:12:54.231 --> 00:12:59.293
So, first of all, I want to thank you for sharing your story about your health challenges.
00:12:59.293 --> 00:13:03.171
My father actually also had two transplants oh wow.
00:13:03.171 --> 00:13:16.010
And one of my best friends has also had a transplant, and so I know that they both will relate to what you went through, and I think that that is so important that you share that piece of your journey.
00:13:16.010 --> 00:13:18.006
So, first of all, thank you for doing that.
00:13:18.006 --> 00:13:32.527
Second of all, my husband always says focus only on what you can control, not on what you can't control, and I think that you have definitely done that with your journey, and I think that that is so amazing, so so incredible.
00:13:32.860 --> 00:13:37.820
You know, I've learned that we don't open the doors for ourselves.
00:13:37.820 --> 00:13:53.865
We just wait until that door is cracked and then we just kick it open and say OK, I got a little open and I'm just going to kick it open and I'm going to go for it and people will ask me now, what are your plans for the next you know five years?
00:13:53.865 --> 00:14:09.115
I truly don't know my plans, because I've just learned to let situations, or, let you know, opportunities, be presented to me, and then I just go for it.
00:14:10.616 --> 00:14:11.378
That's the best way.
00:14:11.378 --> 00:14:13.522
That's the best way.
00:14:13.522 --> 00:14:17.711
So you were named South Carolina Chef Ambassador last year.
00:14:17.711 --> 00:14:25.822
A chef ambassador last year.
00:14:25.822 --> 00:14:30.815
Can you talk about the moment you found out that you were going to essentially represent our state and the state's culinary culture?
00:14:30.815 --> 00:14:33.841
How did you feel in that moment that you found out?
00:14:35.085 --> 00:14:39.013
Well, at first, I was like, okay, who nominated me?
00:14:39.013 --> 00:14:47.143
Was like, okay, who nominated me?
00:14:47.143 --> 00:14:50.091
I guess you know with I consider myself a very humble person, even until this day.
00:14:50.091 --> 00:14:51.234
You know my family.
00:14:51.234 --> 00:14:53.340
They always tell me you underestimate yourself.
00:14:53.340 --> 00:14:59.047
You know, you don't see the greatness in you and I don't know.
00:14:59.047 --> 00:15:06.181
I guess I'm just very thankful for where I am considering, where I've been.
00:15:06.181 --> 00:15:13.254
You know, I'm just always thankful for the opportunities that have been presented to me.
00:15:13.254 --> 00:15:28.869
And so when I found out that I was nominated to be a chef ambassador, I was just like, oh, you know, okay, and, believe it or not, I had to go research it.
00:15:28.869 --> 00:15:30.351
I was like, okay, what do I have to do?
00:15:30.351 --> 00:15:35.775
At the time, a representative from Department of Ag.
00:15:35.775 --> 00:15:36.779
She reached out to me.
00:15:36.779 --> 00:15:40.628
She said I want to come up and I want to talk to you, and this was Ansley.
00:15:40.628 --> 00:15:49.259
Ansley came by, she spoke with me and she started just asking me questions and she was telling me things about myself and I was like, oh, my goodness.
00:15:49.500 --> 00:15:51.004
These people have researched me.
00:15:51.104 --> 00:16:06.222
I was like 10 years ago they knew stuff that I did 10 years ago and I was like, ok, you know what am I getting myself into was like, okay, you know what am I getting myself into.
00:16:06.222 --> 00:16:12.481
She contacted me back maybe about three weeks later and she said you know, we would just like to know if you would accept a position as a South Carolina Chef Ambassador.
00:16:12.481 --> 00:16:28.451
It did not hit me until we were officially recognized that day down at the state Capitol and I was like, oh, my goodness, it's almost like this is what you've been asking for.
00:16:28.451 --> 00:16:40.004
And it was so unexpected, you know, but this is what you've been asking for, this is that next step that you've been saying OK, god, show me what I need to be doing, what's my next step?
00:16:40.004 --> 00:16:41.048
Because I don't know.
00:16:41.048 --> 00:16:43.647
And that was the next step.
00:16:43.647 --> 00:16:46.067
That was that little crack.
00:16:46.067 --> 00:16:53.302
Yeah, that was that crack in it, that little crack opening that door, and I was like, all right, girl, it's time to kick it in, let's go.
00:16:53.302 --> 00:16:59.188
So I mean, I was very excited, but now this is what I didn't expect.
00:16:59.188 --> 00:17:14.480
And the other, the chef ambassador of the class before us, told us get ready, because you are going to be so busy.
00:17:14.480 --> 00:17:16.261
Chris Williams from Roy's Grill, he told me.
00:17:16.261 --> 00:17:19.986
He said, look, you might as well go ahead and start hiring more staff.
00:17:19.986 --> 00:17:21.768
Now I was like why?
00:17:21.768 --> 00:17:24.671
He said because you're gonna be busy from here on out.
00:17:24.671 --> 00:17:27.634
He said you're gonna have people traveling from all over South Carolina.
00:17:27.634 --> 00:17:28.776
They'll come and see you.
00:17:30.241 --> 00:17:34.028
That Saturday we were having to turn people around.
00:17:34.028 --> 00:17:41.375
In a matter of you know, two days we were having, we just couldn't see people.
00:17:41.375 --> 00:17:44.366
We were having to turn people around.
00:17:44.366 --> 00:17:54.326
My daughter was like, oh, my goodness, it was just my staff was excited.
00:17:54.326 --> 00:17:58.671
But they were like, but it was an adrenaline rush.
00:17:58.671 --> 00:18:02.954
But then, you know, also too, I also to.
00:18:02.954 --> 00:18:04.436
I was like, ok, I got to get myself ready.
00:18:04.436 --> 00:18:18.746
I've really got to get myself ready for this, because now you're doing the food and wine festivals all over South Carolina, different events, and now you're having media come in.
00:18:18.746 --> 00:18:34.285
I was doing like interviews, maybe like three or four times a week and you know, just to see that you have a clientele coming from Asheville, from Tennessee and even Louisiana.
00:18:34.285 --> 00:18:38.111
I'm like, how do these people know about me?
00:18:39.153 --> 00:18:41.894
But they were like oh, I saw you on this, I saw you on that, and there was some publications out there.
00:18:41.894 --> 00:18:45.482
I didn't even know about me, but they were like, oh, I saw you on this, I saw you on that, and there was some publications out there I didn't even know about.
00:18:45.482 --> 00:18:57.359
And I'm like, oh, okay, and they would show it to me and I'm like, oh, okay, I didn't even realize that I was in that publication, but the exposure was just phenomenal.
00:18:57.359 --> 00:19:02.128
The experience was even more phenomenal.
00:19:02.128 --> 00:19:08.201
You got to me, um, I was able to meet chefs from all around the world at the different food festivals.
00:19:08.201 --> 00:19:18.577
Um, I was able to network with a lot of people in this industry and build relationships, you know, with other chefs in this industry.
00:19:18.577 --> 00:19:25.717
And you know the two gentlemen that were in the class with me, marcus Shell and Rob Massone.
00:19:25.717 --> 00:19:27.922
They're like my brothers now.
00:19:27.922 --> 00:19:31.203
You know, we developed a really strong relationship.
00:19:31.223 --> 00:19:33.050
You said you have a group chat together.
00:19:33.050 --> 00:19:34.913
Yes, we do, we do.
00:19:34.933 --> 00:19:41.352
We check up on each other often and I know a few people from the Department of Ag.
00:19:41.352 --> 00:19:47.836
They say you know, y'all class is so different because y'all actually talk to each other, you keep in touch with each other.
00:19:47.836 --> 00:19:55.753
So even at the events, we're like okay, we got like two hours, we're gonna hang out together.
00:19:56.916 --> 00:20:08.959
So yeah, they are definitely like family such a long way from in your recliner watching the food network to where you are now right starting something, starting out as a hobby.
00:20:09.219 --> 00:20:13.945
Yeah, became my passion, became my life.
00:20:15.230 --> 00:20:32.990
Has there been one specific moment during this journey and I'm sure there have been many, but is there one specific moment with a client that's come in, that's just sticks out to you and you're like this is my why, this, this is why I do this?
00:20:33.431 --> 00:20:34.814
There was this one woman.
00:20:34.814 --> 00:20:43.896
She came in and I know she kept looking at me and you know you kind of get those weird stares from customers.
00:20:43.896 --> 00:20:45.602
I'm like, oh my goodness, something was wrong.
00:20:45.602 --> 00:20:50.529
And you know my daughter was like get ready, I think she's going to complain.
00:20:50.529 --> 00:20:52.333
And you know my daughter was like get ready, I think she's going to complain.
00:20:52.333 --> 00:20:59.281
But she stared at me the entire time that she was here, even when she got up and she went to the restroom.
00:20:59.281 --> 00:21:05.573
She just kept looking in the kitchen and I'm like, oh my goodness, what's going on?
00:21:05.573 --> 00:21:08.801
And I said she came in with a large group of about 15 guests.
00:21:08.801 --> 00:21:11.277
I just told my daughter who's my manager here.
00:21:11.277 --> 00:21:13.836
I said I'm going to go out here, I'm going to see you know what was wrong.
00:21:13.836 --> 00:21:19.380
Because I think you know she's not pleased and that's one of the reasons for my open kitchen concept.
00:21:19.380 --> 00:21:24.597
I want to be able to see my customers and you know the reaction, whether it's good or bad.
00:21:24.597 --> 00:21:35.339
You know, because I want to be able to handle the situation If I'm constantly out here looking at plates and like, okay, they didn't eat this, they didn't eat that.
00:21:35.339 --> 00:21:36.486
Oh, the plates are clean, you know.
00:21:37.309 --> 00:21:41.380
So I went to the table and introduced myself to her.
00:21:41.380 --> 00:21:49.830
She introduced herself to me and she said I've been sick for the past two years and I haven't left my house.
00:21:49.830 --> 00:21:50.977
She said today is my birthday and I was't left my house.
00:21:50.977 --> 00:21:54.471
She said today is my birthday and I was like, oh, happy birthday.
00:21:54.471 --> 00:22:02.954
She said I've been following your journey on Facebook and on Instagram and other social media platforms.
00:22:02.954 --> 00:22:05.622
She said, for the past two years I've been following you.
00:22:05.622 --> 00:22:16.798
And she said just, amazed with your story, found out that this lady needed a transplant as well and like she told me she hadn't left her house in two years.
00:22:17.058 --> 00:22:21.323
Wow so her family finally said okay, you're getting out of this house.
00:22:21.323 --> 00:22:23.577
We're gonna take you to dinner for your birthday.
00:22:23.577 --> 00:22:24.284
Where do you want to go?
00:22:24.284 --> 00:22:25.851
She said I want to go to indigenous.
00:22:25.851 --> 00:22:31.079
And she said if I could just get a hug from you?
00:22:31.079 --> 00:22:33.022
She said she told me she was.
00:22:33.022 --> 00:22:34.244
She was like your story.
00:22:34.244 --> 00:22:40.222
Your journey is what made me want to come here and to actually meet you.
00:22:40.222 --> 00:22:42.557
She said now, the food was phenomenal.
00:22:42.557 --> 00:22:48.563
She said I was just so scared to say hey, you know, can you come out of the kitchen so I can take a picture with you?
00:22:48.563 --> 00:22:52.520
That was one of the most touching moments for me.
00:22:52.520 --> 00:23:00.316
I mean, there's been plenty others because you know, like I say, I've just had my second transplant.
00:23:00.938 --> 00:23:15.930
In March Wow, yeah, march 23rd I had my second transplant and when I went back on dialysis then it was so many patients that they would stop me when I would go into the center.
00:23:16.290 --> 00:23:24.280
And you know the nurses had already told them who I was and you know a lot of them would say you know, I just feel like giving up on life.
00:23:24.280 --> 00:23:51.160
And I said, well, that's natural, because I felt like giving up on life, felt like giving up on my home, and I said but you know, you just have to know that you going through this is your second take on life, that's that new chapter that's opening for you, and that you have to go through struggles in your life to see if you're ready for that next chapter.
00:23:51.160 --> 00:23:58.679
So whenever people find out about my journey, you know I get some people say oh, I'm so sorry.
00:23:58.679 --> 00:24:09.039
I'm like I'm not, don't be sorry for me, because me going through that time in my life is what built me to be where I am now.
00:24:09.039 --> 00:24:10.855
So it was necessary.
00:24:10.855 --> 00:24:16.474
I always tell them what I went through was so necessary for me to be where I am.
00:24:17.089 --> 00:24:20.840
What do you think makes the community here in Abbeville?
00:24:20.840 --> 00:24:23.497
You grew up here.
00:24:23.497 --> 00:24:26.063
You've spent your whole life here.
00:24:26.063 --> 00:24:28.595
What makes this community unique?
00:24:30.239 --> 00:24:37.132
We're all family, small community, everybody knows everybody.
00:00:03.849 --> 00:00:05.112
00:00:05.112 --> 00:00:08.509
00:00:08.509 --> 00:00:12.109
00:00:12.109 --> 00:00:17.288
00:00:17.288 --> 00:00:25.349
00:00:25.349 --> 00:00:27.385
00:00:27.385 --> 00:00:28.489
00:00:36.881 --> 00:00:38.487
00:00:38.487 --> 00:00:55.435
00:00:55.435 --> 00:00:56.957
00:00:57.119 --> 00:00:59.287
00:00:59.287 --> 00:01:03.792
00:01:03.792 --> 00:01:06.248
00:01:06.248 --> 00:01:10.671
00:01:10.671 --> 00:01:21.990
00:01:21.990 --> 00:01:24.920
00:01:24.959 --> 00:01:28.055
00:01:28.055 --> 00:01:28.980
00:01:28.980 --> 00:01:45.111
00:01:45.111 --> 00:01:55.450
00:01:55.450 --> 00:02:07.102
00:02:07.102 --> 00:02:12.262
00:02:12.262 --> 00:02:22.645
00:02:22.645 --> 00:02:32.707
00:02:32.707 --> 00:02:45.037
00:02:45.037 --> 00:02:46.400
00:02:47.001 --> 00:03:17.633
00:03:17.633 --> 00:03:22.665
00:03:22.665 --> 00:03:33.941
00:03:33.941 --> 00:03:45.193
00:03:45.193 --> 00:04:00.608
00:04:00.608 --> 00:04:12.088
00:04:12.088 --> 00:04:14.241
00:04:14.281 --> 00:04:18.290
00:04:18.290 --> 00:04:27.372
00:04:27.372 --> 00:04:35.867
00:04:35.867 --> 00:04:46.720
00:04:46.720 --> 00:04:54.894
00:04:54.894 --> 00:05:02.343
00:05:02.343 --> 00:05:08.154
00:05:08.154 --> 00:05:10.144
00:05:10.144 --> 00:05:15.103
00:05:15.103 --> 00:05:20.074
00:05:21.500 --> 00:05:21.641
00:05:22.081 --> 00:05:26.653
00:05:26.653 --> 00:05:32.733
00:05:32.733 --> 00:05:34.319
00:05:34.319 --> 00:05:35.321
00:05:35.321 --> 00:05:43.567
00:05:43.567 --> 00:05:55.456
00:05:55.456 --> 00:06:00.112
00:06:00.920 --> 00:06:10.226
00:06:11.043 --> 00:06:23.142
00:06:23.142 --> 00:06:25.310
00:06:25.310 --> 00:06:29.430
00:06:29.430 --> 00:06:42.184
00:06:42.184 --> 00:06:44.105
00:06:44.105 --> 00:06:49.490
00:06:49.490 --> 00:06:54.156
00:06:54.156 --> 00:06:55.576
00:06:55.576 --> 00:07:10.305
00:07:10.305 --> 00:07:17.865
00:07:19.206 --> 00:07:26.286
00:07:26.286 --> 00:07:40.923
00:07:40.923 --> 00:07:41.386
00:07:41.386 --> 00:07:54.427
00:07:54.427 --> 00:07:56.834
00:07:56.834 --> 00:08:04.430
00:08:04.430 --> 00:08:05.312
00:08:05.312 --> 00:08:07.154
00:08:08.459 --> 00:08:09.302
00:08:09.362 --> 00:08:14.793
00:08:15.339 --> 00:08:20.209
00:08:20.209 --> 00:08:28.651
00:08:28.651 --> 00:08:31.728
00:08:31.728 --> 00:08:42.575
00:08:42.575 --> 00:08:45.929
00:08:45.929 --> 00:08:48.028
00:08:48.028 --> 00:09:01.153
00:09:01.153 --> 00:09:03.279
00:09:03.279 --> 00:09:08.265
00:09:08.326 --> 00:09:09.870
00:09:10.059 --> 00:09:13.687
00:09:13.687 --> 00:09:21.222
00:09:21.222 --> 00:09:24.405
00:09:24.405 --> 00:09:26.268
00:09:26.268 --> 00:09:28.711
00:09:28.870 --> 00:09:29.652
00:09:29.652 --> 00:09:32.073
00:09:32.193 --> 00:09:33.615
00:09:51.259 --> 00:09:51.440
00:09:51.460 --> 00:09:52.981
00:09:52.981 --> 00:09:58.850
00:09:58.850 --> 00:10:01.134
00:10:01.134 --> 00:10:05.519
00:10:06.480 --> 00:10:22.894
00:10:22.894 --> 00:10:57.567
00:10:57.567 --> 00:11:02.447
00:11:02.447 --> 00:11:04.947
00:11:05.100 --> 00:11:16.267
00:11:16.267 --> 00:11:18.606
00:11:18.606 --> 00:11:20.511
00:11:20.511 --> 00:11:21.077
00:11:21.077 --> 00:11:23.225
00:11:23.225 --> 00:11:38.889
00:11:38.889 --> 00:11:42.417
00:11:42.417 --> 00:11:45.022
00:11:45.022 --> 00:11:52.934
00:11:52.934 --> 00:12:02.592
00:12:02.714 --> 00:12:06.346
00:12:06.346 --> 00:12:08.091
00:12:08.091 --> 00:12:09.240
00:12:09.240 --> 00:12:15.196
00:12:15.196 --> 00:12:24.629
00:12:24.629 --> 00:12:25.792
00:12:25.892 --> 00:12:26.754
00:12:26.919 --> 00:12:28.384
00:12:28.384 --> 00:12:32.067
00:12:32.287 --> 00:12:33.009
00:12:33.009 --> 00:12:50.601
00:12:50.601 --> 00:12:54.231
00:12:54.231 --> 00:12:59.293
00:12:59.293 --> 00:13:03.171
00:13:03.171 --> 00:13:16.010
00:13:16.010 --> 00:13:18.006
00:13:18.006 --> 00:13:32.527
00:13:32.860 --> 00:13:37.820
00:13:37.820 --> 00:13:53.865
00:13:53.865 --> 00:14:09.115
00:14:10.616 --> 00:14:11.378
00:14:11.378 --> 00:14:13.522
00:14:13.522 --> 00:14:17.711
00:14:17.711 --> 00:14:25.822
00:14:25.822 --> 00:14:30.815
00:14:30.815 --> 00:14:33.841
00:14:35.085 --> 00:14:39.013
00:14:39.013 --> 00:14:47.143
00:14:47.143 --> 00:14:50.091
00:14:50.091 --> 00:14:51.234
00:14:51.234 --> 00:14:53.340
00:14:53.340 --> 00:14:59.047
00:14:59.047 --> 00:15:06.181
00:15:06.181 --> 00:15:13.254
00:15:13.254 --> 00:15:28.869
00:15:28.869 --> 00:15:30.351
00:15:30.351 --> 00:15:35.775
00:15:35.775 --> 00:15:36.779
00:15:36.779 --> 00:15:40.628
00:15:40.628 --> 00:15:49.259
00:15:49.500 --> 00:15:51.004
00:15:51.104 --> 00:16:06.222
00:16:06.222 --> 00:16:12.481
00:16:12.481 --> 00:16:28.451
00:16:28.451 --> 00:16:40.004
00:16:40.004 --> 00:16:41.048
00:16:41.048 --> 00:16:43.647
00:16:43.647 --> 00:16:46.067
00:16:46.067 --> 00:16:53.302
00:16:53.302 --> 00:16:59.188
00:16:59.188 --> 00:17:14.480
00:17:14.480 --> 00:17:16.261
00:17:16.261 --> 00:17:19.986
00:17:19.986 --> 00:17:21.768
00:17:21.768 --> 00:17:24.671
00:17:24.671 --> 00:17:27.634
00:17:27.634 --> 00:17:28.776
00:17:30.241 --> 00:17:34.028
00:17:34.028 --> 00:17:41.375
00:17:41.375 --> 00:17:44.366
00:17:44.366 --> 00:17:54.326
00:17:54.326 --> 00:17:58.671
00:17:58.671 --> 00:18:02.954
00:18:02.954 --> 00:18:04.436
00:18:04.436 --> 00:18:18.746
00:18:18.746 --> 00:18:34.285
00:18:34.285 --> 00:18:38.111
00:18:39.153 --> 00:18:41.894
00:18:41.894 --> 00:18:45.482
00:18:45.482 --> 00:18:57.359
00:18:57.359 --> 00:19:02.128
00:19:02.128 --> 00:19:08.201
00:19:08.201 --> 00:19:18.577
00:19:18.577 --> 00:19:25.717
00:19:25.717 --> 00:19:27.922
00:19:27.922 --> 00:19:31.203
00:19:31.223 --> 00:19:33.050
00:19:33.050 --> 00:19:34.913
00:19:34.933 --> 00:19:41.352
00:19:41.352 --> 00:19:47.836
00:19:47.836 --> 00:19:55.753
00:19:56.916 --> 00:20:08.959
00:20:09.219 --> 00:20:13.945
00:20:15.230 --> 00:20:32.990
00:20:33.431 --> 00:20:34.814
00:20:34.814 --> 00:20:43.896
00:20:43.896 --> 00:20:45.602
00:20:45.602 --> 00:20:50.529
00:20:50.529 --> 00:20:52.333
00:20:52.333 --> 00:20:59.281
00:20:59.281 --> 00:21:05.573
00:21:05.573 --> 00:21:08.801
00:21:08.801 --> 00:21:11.277
00:21:11.277 --> 00:21:13.836
00:21:13.836 --> 00:21:19.380
00:21:19.380 --> 00:21:24.597
00:21:24.597 --> 00:21:35.339
00:21:35.339 --> 00:21:36.486
00:21:37.309 --> 00:21:41.380
00:21:41.380 --> 00:21:49.830
00:21:49.830 --> 00:21:50.977
00:21:50.977 --> 00:21:54.471
00:21:54.471 --> 00:22:02.954
00:22:02.954 --> 00:22:05.622
00:22:05.622 --> 00:22:16.798
00:22:17.058 --> 00:22:21.323
00:22:21.323 --> 00:22:23.577
00:22:23.577 --> 00:22:24.284
00:22:24.284 --> 00:22:25.851
00:22:25.851 --> 00:22:31.079
00:22:31.079 --> 00:22:33.022
00:22:33.022 --> 00:22:34.244
00:22:34.244 --> 00:22:40.222
00:22:40.222 --> 00:22:42.557
00:22:42.557 --> 00:22:48.563
00:22:48.563 --> 00:22:52.520
00:22:52.520 --> 00:23:00.316
00:23:00.938 --> 00:23:15.930
00:23:16.290 --> 00:23:24.280
00:23:24.280 --> 00:23:51.160
00:23:51.160 --> 00:23:58.679
00:23:58.679 --> 00:24:09.039
00:24:09.039 --> 00:24:10.855
00:24:10.855 --> 00:24:16.474
00:24:17.089 --> 00:24:20.840
00:24:20.840 --> 00:24:23.497
00:24:23.497 --> 00:24:26.063
00:24:26.063 --> 00:24:28.595
00:24:30.239 --> 00:24:37.132