A Tribute to a Special Person

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A Tribute to a Special Person

In 1982, at the age of fifthteen Debb ie Martinez of the Bronx, found out she was pregnant and was forced to drop out of school and move in with her boyfriend. She had a baby girl she named Jasmine. With little education and no job, it wasn’t easy for her to raise her child. She stayed at home caring for her daughter while her boyfriend worked. Since it was his house she had little say about anything that happened. He did as he pleased and came home with money only when he wanted to. Less then two years later she found herself about to raise another child. She had a baby girl she named Jennifer. She struggled to care for her two babies without much help from the father. It was then that she realized she had to do something to better her life.

She decided to move back in with her mother and go back to school. She found work that barely gave her enough to raise her children. With two babies to care for, it was impossible for her to go back to high school full time so she received her G.E.D. She always had hopes of becoming a nurse so she enrolled in community college. By this time she was working and had her own apartment. While going to college she found herself about to raise another baby girl. She continued to attend classes until the last possible moment. When Aurea was born, school was once again put on hold so she could care for her baby.

As soon as Aurea was old enough to stay with a babysitter Debbie went back to work and school. She worked during the day and went to class at night. Being able to only take a class or two per semester made it harder for her to graduate. She never gave up. In 1997 she finally received enough credit and graduated with a degree in medical assistance. She ...

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...bbie is living her life day by day. She never knows when her multiple sclerosis will completely rule her life. Some days she wakes up fine, but then the day comes when it’s hard for her to do anything. Even though she is sick, she still works hard to maintain her family. When she’s having a bad day physically, she takes her medicine and gets ready for work. When her family is worried and tells her it would be best for her to stay home and rest she assures them she is strong and will be fine.

Debbie Martinez is a very special person. She worked hard all her life to accomplish her goals. She continued to go to school and work, while still being able to take care of her children and making sure they had everything they needed. No matter what was thrown in her way she could overcome it. Debbie has played many roles in her life, being my mother is just one of the many.

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