Debbie Coooperrider
Debbie is my Daughter, I had her when I was 15, she has overcome amazing things in her life. She testified against her biological father at age 6 for sexually abusing her, She lived with night terrors and other psychological results. She lived through the chronic illness and hospitalizations of my middle son her as an infant, as well as the divorce of me and my bi-polar husband. The death in our home of my second husband the man she considered her dad. She was bullied all through high school. She has stood by her boyfriend since 8th grade, rarely seeing him while he gets help coping with his own sexual abuse. She is also a biology/ Pre-med student at Luther College and is working at Pizza Ranch, as well as working in the college dish room while she is away at school and when home on visits works full time at a local Walgreens. She was in FFA, volunteered at the local Celebrate church, cared for her younger siblings, went on an annual trip to volunteer at the feed my starving children facility in Minnesota as well as helped us with the Helmets 4 Kids Program. Debbie has done all of this with Asperger's syndrome. This brief description does not even touch on the amazing personality of Debbie, she would do anything for anyone and ask nothing in return just because it is what should be done. People would use some of the things that have happened to her as excuses to not live life, they let things get them down. I have had people who asked me why I would have more kids after having one like Debbie just because she has Asperger's. She is the most amazing person I know and she is only 18 years old. I could only pick one value for her to represent, the truth is she represents most of them.
Submitted by Anonymous
