Outside at last, the woman who hasn't left her home since 1966! She finally 投機・賭けるs out to see grandson honoured

• Patricia Cooper, from Darlington, became agoraphobic 支援する in 1967
• She left the house, though, to see her grandson get a British Empire メダル
• 'It was a very scary experience for me, but 価値（がある） it,' she said
  

By Paul Harris for the Daily Mail

Published: 14:02 BST, 29 April 2014 | Updated: 12:41 BST, 30 April 2014

The Beatles’ Yellow 潜水艦 topped the charts, England had just won the World Cup and Harold Wilson was happily puffing his 麻薬を吸う in 負かす／撃墜するing Street.

As Patricia Cooper walked in the 日光, 押し進めるing her six-month-old daughter, she was suddenly struck by a 手足を不自由にする／（物事を）損なうing 恐れる of open spaces.

The 影響 of that summer’s day in 1966 was so terrifying that it would be the last time the 31-year-old housewife 投機・賭けるd outdoors for nearly half a century.

Proud: Patricia Cooper with grandson Kevin, left, and pictured 権利 at the 高さ of her agoraphobia with her daughter Sally, who's now 30

In all that time, mother-of-two Mrs Cooper never went more than a few yards from her 前線 door, never walked her children to school or took her grandchildren out and could not even go shopping.

拘留するd by agoraphobia and in dread of what might happen if it struck her again, she kept in touch with her family by telephone ? or, in 最近の years, the internet.

一方／合間, outside her Darlington home, the world was transformed by the rise in the number of cars, the 緩和する of foreign travel and the 拒絶する／低下する of the high street.

That passed Mrs Cooper by, until? her 26-year-old grandson Kevin Nicholson was awarded the British Empire メダル. Mrs Cooper was so proud that she 召喚するd the courage to be outdoors for the first time since that August day 48 years ago.

恐れる facto r: Mrs Cooper said that seeing her grandson receive the award was 'terrifying, but 価値（がある）'

Connected: Mrs Cooper says that she keeps in touch with family and friends using Facebook

In an almost 内密の 操作／手術 to get to the 贈呈 儀式 last week, she was 勧めるd into a car that drew up at her door, driven for a few minutes to the 発生地 and introduced to the Lord 中尉／大尉／警部補 of 郡 Durham and the town 市長 after they 現在のd the メダル to Mr Nicholson for his services to a 地元の community centre. Then she sat in a garden for a time with him ? and went 支援する indoors again.

Yesterday she told the Mail: ‘It was really scary but I’m glad I did it. Kevin didn’t have any idea I’d be there and he was thrilled. I’m glad I stayed to watch the 儀式 but the only thing I really 手配中の，お尋ね者 to do was get 支援する home.’

Mrs Cooper, now a 78-year-old 広大な／多数の／重要な-grandmother, told how her self-課すd confinement began as she walked to her 地元の 地位，任命する office.

She was swept by an unexplained feeling of panic. 発言する／表明するs around her suddenly became distant and everything went 煙霧のかかった.

‘I was rooted to the 位置／汚点／見つけ出す,’ she said. ‘I 現実に thought I was going to die. The only thing I knew I needed to do was get home as soon as I could. I shut the door... and I d idn’t answer it again for the next three years. I can’t explain it, but I just couldn’t 直面する going out again.’

Mrs Cooper, already 離婚d from husband Brendon, was told electric shock 治療 would cure her but she 辞退するd. Instead she became a recluse. 隣人s did her shopping and her mother helped her to raise daughter Sandra, now 48, and son John, 50. She has lived every day in terror of 負傷させるing herself and needing 治療. ‘If I had to be 急ぐd to hospital the experience would probably kill me,’ she said. ‘I just wouldn’t go. It’s a terrible feeling. You just can’t 支配（する）／統制する it.’

Here are some of the things Patricia Cooper has 行方不明になるd since developing agoraphobia

Although she has been 密輸するd to her children’s homes for the 時折の Christmas or Mother’s Day, she had not spent time outside for five １０年間s until last week, when she was collected from the care home where she has spent the last seven years.

Of the short 運動 to the 儀式, she said: ‘There are cars and motorbikes everywhere and everyone seems to 運動 like Evel Knievel.’

Yet indoors she has easily embraced new 科学（工学）技術 ? she uses an iPad, has a Facebook page and shops online.

Her biggest 悔いる is that agoraphobia robbed her of the chance to spend more time with her family.

What would she do now if she could lead a normal life outside? ‘Go to the tulip gardens in Amsterdam... visit Disneyland... go to where my grandmother was born in 郡 Cork... spend lots more time seeing my family... it’s the simple things you 行方不明になる out on,’? she said.

There is one thing she hasn’t 行方不明になるd since 1966, however: England winning the World Cup again.

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