Kicking off our December series, “Illness in Recovery,” is the remarkable story of Debbie — a woman whose persistent will to live lifted her through every hardship, heartbreak, and diagnosis life placed before her.Debbie’s early childhood was marked by constant moves and shifting identities—popular in Brooklyn, invisible in Florida, and once again the outsider when her family relocated to New Jersey. Late physical development and doctors’ warnings that she had “the mind of a sixteen-year-old but the body of a ten-year-old” created insecurities that burrowed deep. Bullying, self-doubt, and a need to be accepted paved the path toward using—alcohol and marijuana before and after school, hoping substances could quiet the feeling that something was wrong with her.She dreamed big, studying communications at Rutgers and chasing a future in radio, but her ambitions were met with little support from those closest to her. When the 1970s radio scene welcomed her in, the darker side of the music industry soon revealed itself. While working in Manhattan, a trusted coworker assaulted her—an incident she was blamed for and one she buried in silence for years. Seeking escape and love in all the wrong places, her addiction deepened.Even when she believed she had found a future—an engagement, a wedding dress, invitations printed—addiction shattered it all. Her fiancé’s secret drug use ended their relationship, and Debbie’s emotional collapse led to pills becoming her solace. A move to Long Island and a loving new relationship brought hope again… until illness struck. A routine mammogram led to a diagnosis of aggressive breast cancer, later confirmed to be tied to a BRCA1 gene mutation.Ten major surgeries, chemotherapy, and unimaginable physical pain drove Debbie deeper into addiction, mirroring the behaviors her husband had witnessed in his previous marriage. A friend brought her to an NA meeting in 2004—she showed up, but recovery didn’t fully take root. Until another blow. An injury left her with a shattered femur, followed by a relapse and the loss of her career. With everything stripped away—mobility, independence, purpose—Debbie crawled back into the rooms and asked for help. And that’s when recovery truly began.She threw herself into service.She took every suggestion.She found her voice.And she found her purpose.Today, Debbie is 28 years free of the most aggressive form of breast cancer, and clean in recovery for over 12 years. She is living proof that survival is not passive but an active choice made again and again. She shows up for the newcomer, advocates for the sick and suffering addict, and radiates strength forged from pain no one should ever have to endure.Debbie’s story is one of resilience, transformation, and a fierce commitment to life. When illness tried to take her, recovery gave her a reason to stay.

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