08/15/2025
My Story of STRENGTH
I grew up in a small rural community with my two siblings — a brother and sister, both older than me. My childhood was split between two very different, but equally influential, sets of grandparents.
My maternal grandparents lived the traditional farming life. They grew nearly all their own food, canned for the winter, raised chickens, and made the most of everything they had. I can still remember helping pluck the feathers from freshly boiled chickens — not a glamorous job, but one that taught me where food really comes from. My paternal grandparents were deeply religious. My grandfather passed away before I was born, but my grandmother filled her home with life — houseplants in every corner — and faithfully took us to church.
When I was just five years old, my life changed in an instant. Not only were my parents divorcing , I was in a traumatic lawn mower accident that took my lower left leg and nearly my right. I endured multiple surgeries and blood transfusions, spending months in both our local hospital and Shriners Hospital. The accident was caused when my maternal grandfather accidentally backed over me. It was a tragic moment, yet his quick actions also helped save my life. I remember it clearly, even after all these years — and it is a part of my story I have retold many times.
From that day forward, life was different. I became “the girl with the prosthetic leg,” which meant I endured teasing, stares, and whispers. I learned early that I couldn’t control what others said or thought — only how I responded. I chose to hold my head high, to keep going, and to accept my circumstances. I didn’t let it define me in weakness; I let it shape me in strength.
Much of my youth was spent at Shriners Hospital, seeing countless other children facing challenges of their own. Those visits gave me perspective — and gratitude — for the life I had.
I played softball through high school, pushing through pain so intense at times that tears would fill my eyes on the field. Yet I rarely missed a game and was honored to be chosen for an All-Star team. I served as a wrestling mat maid, wearing my uniform with both pride and a touch of self-consciousness, but always smiling. I couldn’t play all the sports I wanted to, but I made the most of what I could do — and I learned that courage doesn’t mean you aren’t scared or hurting; it means you show up anyway.
Life gave me moments to shine — like being named 1st Runner-Up and Miss Congeniality at our local county fair — and moments to persevere, like finishing cosmetology school when I wanted to quit.
At 19, I started working at a large local hospital and eventually met my childhood orthopedic surgeon again — the man who had helped save my leg. I worked my way through nursing school to earn my RN license, then transitioned to helping open a freestanding surgical center, managing operations before the very first patients walked through the door. There, I also reconnected with my childhood anesthesiologist, who still remembered the day I came through the ER after my accident.
Those years in the medical field built my organizational skills, my ability to work with all types of people, and my understanding of what it means to truly care for others. Outside of work, I kept testing my limits — even teaching myself to slalom water ski on one ski, refusing to quit until I mastered it.
I married at 25, but that marriage ended in an unwanted divorce two years later — another hard chapter. Four years later, I married again, and I’ve now been married for 25 years to a wonderful man who is a physician. I have two stepchildren, no biological children, and no grandchildren. Together, we have traveled extensively, both internationally and across the U.S. After retiring, we spent 10 months living full-time in our motorhome before settling back home, downsizing, and building the smaller home we live in now.
In 2021, we began a new chapter — starting a breed-up program for Valais Blacknose sheep. It’s a venture that has brought me back to my rural roots, filled my days with purpose, and connected me to a community that shares my love for these remarkable animals.
My journey hasn’t been an easy one, but it’s been filled with lessons that have made me stronger, braver, and more determined. I’ve learned that even in the most difficult seasons, you can find purpose, joy, and resilience. My life has been built on the belief that you don’t just survive challenges — you rise through them.
