The Girl in the Iron Lung:
The Dianne O’Dell Story
By Will Beyer
The Girl in the Iron Lung is the story of Dianne O’Dell, who was diagnosed with polio at the age of three and lived in an iron lung for 58 years until her death in 2008. She is noted for living the majority of her life in an iron lung, lying flat on her back for nearly six decades.
Her entire world was the iron lung, but she adapted. She learned to write with her toes and loved to paint pictures. She graduated from high school and took college classes. She tutored children, spoke at her local Rotary Club, and wrote a children’s book to encourage young people, especially those with physical disabilities, to never give up.
The Girl in the Iron Lung tells the story of Dianne’s challenging, but rewarding life, and the efforts of her loving family to care for her daily needs.
Through this book, Dianne will continue to be a source of inspiration for years to come.
“There was never a tougher human being than Diane O’dell—not mountain men, not Pioneers, astronauts, or wartime heroes. She was a light of two things in my life, something to strive for and also as an echo of how i could have always done better. I guess that’s a blessing, because inspiration is hard to come by these days.
— David Keith, Consultant, Director, Actor and double Golden Globe nominee
“I knew I wasn’t mentally tough enough to have lived her life as she did for fifty-eight Years. In terms of my faith and my believing that there is a better world, knowing Dianne strengthened my faith and my belief. She had such a genuine perspective on life. Knowing her made me believe there truly is a better world waiting.”
— Cliff Harris, Former Member of the Dallas Cowboys
About the Author
Will Beyer was born and grew up in Paducah, Kentucky, and earned a track and cross-country scholarship to David Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee, where he was an accomplished distance runner, and later taught and coached track and field. After college, he married Mary Beth O’Dell (Dianne O’Dell’s youngest sister), and they moved to Jackson, Tennessee. They have two sons, Chase and Chance.
Will worked with Jackson Christian School as a teacher, coach, and in administration.
Upon completion of graduate school at the University of Memphis, Will began working with Jackson-Madison County Schools and developed their Crisis Intervention Program. He is a Licensed Senior Psychological Examiner-Health Service Provider, and also a Licensed Professional Counselor-Mental Health Service Provider.
Will opened Beyer Psychology Group and has provided psychological and psychoeducational evaluations for multiple residential and acute care facilities, as well as for the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services. He authored the book, Born To Be Wild: ADHD, Alcoholism, and Addiction, a clinical sourcebook about ADHD and addictive illness.
He is a frequent trainer and speaker on mental health topics for school districts and also for law enforcement. He is actively involved with his church and community, was awarded “Child Advocate of the Year” by West Tennessee Healthcare Foundation, and Chaired the Walton Harrison Counsel for Children with Learning and Behavior Problems.
Will is an avid musician and regularly performs with his band in the West Tennessee community.