Purpose Still Lives Here
A Caregiver's Fight
by Chanda Minor-Brigance

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When former NFL player and Super Bowl champion O.J. Brigance was diagnosed with ALS, his wife, Chanda Minor-Brigance, suddenly stepped into a role she never applied for: full-time caregiver. Purpose Still Lives Here: A Caregiver’s Fight is her unflinching, faith-filled memoir of love, resilience, and finding meaning in the middle of heartbreak. This book is written for caregivers, women of faith, and anyone walking through seasons of unexpected loss, responsibility, or life pivots. Readers will recognize themselves in the exhaustion, the guilt, and the quiet triumphs, and they’ll find encouragement that they are not alone. Themes of faith, resilience, caregiving, marriage, grief, and purpose speak directly to those balancing family, health challenges, and their own identity. Whether readers are in their 20s or their 70s, whether they’re caregivers by choice or by circumstance, this book offers both honesty and hope. At its heart, the memoir shows that: • Caregiving is not weakness—it is a strength forged in daily sacrifice. • Faith does not erase suffering, but it anchors us through it. • Purpose can survive diagnosis, exhaustion, and even shattered dreams. Readers will walk away with courage to face their own battles, practical reflections on self-care and perseverance, and a renewed belief that purpose still lives inside them too.

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Chanda Minor-Brigance is a nationally recognized advocate, public speaker, television host, educator, and award-winning children’s book author. She is the founder of Beam of Light, LLC, which houses the Chanda Cares™ Collective Group—a platform that spans books, speaking, caregiving advocacy, and her WJZ-TV segment Chanda Cares™, celebrating everyday heroes who turn adversity into purpose. Alongside her husband, former NFL player & Super Bowl winner, O.J. Brigance, Chanda co-founded the Brigance Brigade Foundation, raising millions to support ALS families with essential care services, equipment, and encouragement. Through her leadership, the Foundation has uplifted hundreds of lives. Before stepping into her role as full-time caregiver and advocate, Chanda served as a first-grade teacher in the Archdiocese of the Houston Metroplex. Her deep love for children inspired the CHAN Is a Caregiver® collection, including Who Cares? Will You Remember? and Gimme a Break! —books that help young readers understand caregiving and compassion. Her titles have been named “Best Book” Award Finalists by American Book Fest and are featured at Baltimore’s historic Enoch Pratt Free Library. A native Houstonian and proud alumna of Texas Southern University, one of the nation’s distinguished Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Chanda brings unwavering faith and authenticity to every platform she touches. She lives a life rooted in faith, family, and purpose, which remain her daily compass. Her guiding belief remains simple yet profound: “Compassion In Action.” “Purpose Still Lives Here.”

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Contributors

Author

Chanda Minor-Brigance