Help for Debbie Jo
Donation protected
This is our friend, Debbie Jo. She has devoted her life to helping others. Now she could use help as she battles with metastatic breast cancer of the bones. This debilitating disease has left her in pain and unable to work. As a single woman who works in the social services, she needs financial help at this difficult time. In addition to being out of work due to medical issues, she has no sick time left as she has used it in times of treatment during her cancer journey. She has no money coming in as medical and personal bills grow every day.
Here is a little insight into her character and life...
As a young child, her parents fostered children with special needs. She found love and passion in helping these children grow and flourish. From the start of her career, she has devoted her life to working with children with special needs and their families. Her first job was working with troubled teens in a residential facility. She gained lifelong friendships from this experience and keeps in touch with one such teen even today, almost 30 years later. After working there and gaining valuable experience, she went on to work at the state level in Ohio with foster parents and their training to become qualified and to continue their education. From here, she came to work for our local County Board of Developmental Disabilities. She started off working in the Parent Plus division that helps parents with special needs learn about parenting, then on to becoming an assistant teacher working with infants and toddlers. She has been working at the County serving children and families for 24 years now.
Her personal life and her professional life are closely linked as she has provided (unpaid) respite care for many families she has worked with. She has rented her home in attempts to help a family in need, meanwhile renting another home for her and her son (and losing money each month). Her passion is making certain that people with special needs get the best possible education and are treated individually and with integrity. She is the most caring, passionate, giving advocate anyone could imagine.
Please help if you can. Anything would be so appreciated.
Sincerely,
Her loving friends
Here is a little insight into her character and life...
As a young child, her parents fostered children with special needs. She found love and passion in helping these children grow and flourish. From the start of her career, she has devoted her life to working with children with special needs and their families. Her first job was working with troubled teens in a residential facility. She gained lifelong friendships from this experience and keeps in touch with one such teen even today, almost 30 years later. After working there and gaining valuable experience, she went on to work at the state level in Ohio with foster parents and their training to become qualified and to continue their education. From here, she came to work for our local County Board of Developmental Disabilities. She started off working in the Parent Plus division that helps parents with special needs learn about parenting, then on to becoming an assistant teacher working with infants and toddlers. She has been working at the County serving children and families for 24 years now.
Her personal life and her professional life are closely linked as she has provided (unpaid) respite care for many families she has worked with. She has rented her home in attempts to help a family in need, meanwhile renting another home for her and her son (and losing money each month). Her passion is making certain that people with special needs get the best possible education and are treated individually and with integrity. She is the most caring, passionate, giving advocate anyone could imagine.
Please help if you can. Anything would be so appreciated.
Sincerely,
Her loving friends
Organizer
Brenda Mickey
Organizer
Columbus, OH
