Wendy C. Ruby
Wendy Ruby followed the typical dreams of motherhood and gave birth to a healthy baby girl, Olivia, on August 17, 1992. Things changed by the time she was 2, when she ran high temperatures with no other symptoms, and all tests were negative with the exception of her platelets being low. By 4 years old, Olivia was diagnosed with both an enlarged liver and spleen. As a parent, Wendy began to do her own research after the hematologist recommended a liver transplant. She contacted a pediatric gastroenterologist who specialized in liver diseases and Olivia was diagnosed with a rare liver disease, Congenital Hepatic Fibrosis and later was treated for Ascending Cholangitis, an infection of the bile ducts and a complication of the original disease.
Wendy helped Olivia with her I.V. medications for the next 10 years and her condition stabilized. Unfortunately, due to her disease, Olivia had complications in the 8th month of her pregnancy, when her splenic artery ruptured. While they lost the baby, and Olivia’s spleen was removed, she survived and Wendy is forever grateful for it. As a parent, you never want to see your child in pain, but Wendy has always been there for her daughter, who is definitely a miracle and fighter.
Birgit Barron
Birgit Barron truly embodies empowerment and inspiration. Growing up in a small farming town in Germany, with parents who did not have a lot of money, she was not afforded some of the things many take for granted. Being a girl, she was not able to go to school, become a nurse, or join the military as she wanted. This changed when she married an American soldier and moved to the United States soon after. Birgit became a mother, learned about military life while learning a new language and culture. Earning her driver’s license was her first step to independence, as she had never driven a car prior to this, only motorcycles and farm equipment. She learned everything she could, started working in the Officers Club kitchen and soon moved up to waitressing in the dining room. Unfortunately she was soon divorced due to the stress of being a military wife.
She married her second military husband, raised a blended family and joined the Army Reserves, working towards becoming a combat medic. She worked hard and completed several military trainings, earned an A.S. degree and advanced in rank in the military. She was able to spend time with her family, showing her children the benefits of hard work and achieving a better lifestyle. In 2000, Birgit received her citizenship, became a Certified Law Enforcement Officer. After 9/11, and following a second divorce, she continued to grow with the military and became a teacher for new soldiers to become a combat medic. She remarried and her blended family continued to grow. Raising 8 children, she was called for overseas duty, where she was deployed to Kuwait and Afghanistan. She earned more promotions and in 2017, after over 24 years, she retired as a Sergeant Major. She is currently working on earning her Doctor of Emergency Management, while also building a small business from home. Birgit is definitely an example of overcoming adversity and is a true inspiration.
Maribel Almeida
Maribel Almeida was diagnosed with Scleroderma, an autoimmune disease that caused a rash or urticaria which would not ease no matter what she tried. After realizing that the chemicals in soap affected the irritation, she researched how to make natural soap and started making her own. While she is not cured, Maribel states that her skin became less irritated, itchy and burning, and has more moisture to it. Starting from a medical reason, this has become a passion and now she makes soaps, lotions and body scrubs for people who prefer only natural ingredients in their skin care products. Maribel sells her products to doctors, plastic surgery nurses and estheticians, who sell them to their clients.
According to her, the person who became her inspiration is Kimberly McNutt who uses essential oils in her soap recipes, which really work. Maribel wants to inspire other women to make their dreams and passions come true, bring them to life and celebrate them.
Sarah J. Graves
Sarah Graves was born with Hydrocephalus and as an adult was told that doctors never expected her to live to see her 5th birthday. She turned 41 in December 2018 and has a daughter, Laney (aka Jellybean). In an effort to leave a bad living situation, Sarah and Laney created Jellybean’s Fizzy Bombs, LLC. They made bath bombs, soaps and candles. In July 2018, just a month after starting the business, Sarah got sick and was not able to make her products while waiting for brain surgery, so she started stringing beads, which added jewelry to her business. In February 2019, she was recovered enough to start rebuilding the business and they have now added sugar scrubs, whipped soap, bath salts, scented candles, bath bombs, bar soap, jewelry and wax melts. They are in the process of adding lip balm and other items soon.
Everything is made with love and by hand and is dedicated to giving back 20% of all profits to charity, including handing out food and water to the homeless. Sarah states that everything she does is for her daughter, and the business is her legacy. She has become the official event planner for Benefit Hub USA in the state of Maryland, which is an organization that supports families with a terminally ill member of all ages. Between Jellybean’s Fizzy Bombs and Benefit Hub USA, Sarah is giving back in a new way and with new ventures.
Barbara Steingas
After graduating college, Barbara Steingas was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease, which is deemed to be an incurable autoimmune illness of the intestinal tract. After following the traditional prescribed medication regime for several years, and weighing a mere 80 pounds with severe vaginal-rectal abscesses, she found a different process to piece her way back to health mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. Barbara has been off medication over 15 years now, and is enjoying renewed health, happiness and joy. Now she helps others find their missing pieces to living a fully radiant life.
However, along the way, Barbara endured two more major challenges: the deaths of both her husband and fiancé. After the second loss, she felt like she wouldn’t be able to continue her mission, but instead used the knowledge and skills from her past experiences to pull through these horrific life events and arduous grieving. As a result, Barbara knows she has the ability to help others heal from the pain of losses and life’s challenges.
Heather Potter
Growing up in Fort Lonesome, Florida, as the youngest of 7 children, Heather Potter did not lack in strong female presence in her life. Between her mother, step-mother, aunt and older sister, she learned about having a good work ethic and following her religious beliefs. She married her high school sweetheart, and at the age of 19 had her first child. She went to college to earn her A.S. in Criminal Justice, but realized that being a mother was where her heart was. As her children ages, and her daughter started her senior year of high school, Heather realized that she now wanted to go back to work.
Having no work history for 18 years, she was having trouble, when her husband reminded her about her experience with odds and ends jobs she enjoyed doing and suggested she start her own business. Thus Handyman Task Force Services LLC was born. Heather started by mowing lawns and has since done lawn care and landscaping, home repairs, exterior and interior painting and paving installation. She truly does it all. Heather is an example of truly being able to live your dreams, especially with a strong support system by your side. She knows there is nothing she won’t be able to accomplish!
Angela Foxworth
As a young girl, Angela Foxworth held many of the same dreams and goals of most girls her age. In high school, she was voted Most Popular (the first black student to earn this honor), second black homecoming queen and the first black female to become a Key mascot. Like most of her classmates, she was headed to college with big dreams, which included becoming the next Oprah Winfrey. However, after her second year of college, Angela got pregnant, and had to drop out of college as she soon became a single mother of a young boy. In an effort to provide a better life for her son, Angela moved away from her family in Jacksonville, Florida to Atlanta, Georgia. She soon met her husband and gave birth to her daughter. Like many women, Angela shifted her life from furthering her dreams to becoming a mother, housewife, PTA parent and employee.
After 20 years, she realized that things were not moving forward. After being laid off from her corporate job, her marriage was struggling and so were her children. This caused Angela to have a breakdown, which also led to her vision of a better life and her dreams were reinstated. She followed the dream and today is working to educate, motivate and prove to others that they can do the same. From single mother to hosting her own talk/radio shows, The Angela Foxworth Show, Hot Wife Hot Life and Unzipped Conversations – Unleashing the Naked Truth, from housewife to Mrs. Georgia Woman US Majesty 2019, from laid off employee to co-author of Real Talk, an Intimate Discussion of Life, Love and Relationships and The Pain Behind a Smile, Angela Foxworth proves that anyone can change their lives, pick up and live their dreams and change the world for the better as well.
Melissa Malzahn
Melissa Malzahn is the description of a survivor, having survived 2 marriages with domestic violence and addiction. In her first marriage, she was addicted to drugs, but quit when she married for the 2nd time. During her second marriage, she became addicted to alcohol, but quit drinking in 2006, and has been sober ever since. She was married to her second husband for 20 years. Her husband, who was also an alcoholic, died in 2013 after developing complications from pneumonia. She founded her 501c3 organization, Reclaiming You Inc. to fight homelessness, domestic violence and addiction. Melissa is working on improving her life and those of others in similar situations by returning to school.
She has almost completed her B.A. in Human Services specializing in child and family welfare and is only 6 classes away from earning a M.S. in Human Services specializing in organizational and social services. She hopes to show others that no matter what your situation, you can improve your life.
Sonya Williamson
Sonya Williamson was born disabled, with Hydrocephalus of the brain and legally blind. As a child, she was always in and out of hospitals, and has undergone 9 brain surgeries to date. Knowing she could become fully blind at any time, by 8 years old, Sonya decided to learn how to play multiple instruments by muscle memory and as she got older, spent 10 years traveling the United States playing concerts whenever and wherever she could. She made people smile and happy with her music, which also made her happy. In her 30’s, she got married and felt like she was finally living a normal life, where others didn’t see her daily struggle. Unfortunately, on her 40th birthday, Sonya was diagnosed with further conditions, Fibromyalgia, neuropathy, and Lupus due to the multitude of medications she had been on for most of her life.
Her doctors told her that there was nothing she could do, changed her medications and instead of listening to her when she said she felt worse, just kept increasing the doses of the medications. She was told that her only option was to stop moving, stay home and be put in a wheelchair for the paralysis she was experiencing. However, Sonya knew there had to be a better answer. Not long after, she was introduced to CBD in the form of a salve, which she used on her hands. This rub helped within 5 minutes and the pain eased dramatically. She tried to play guitar for the first time in years, and did so with no pain! She started using CBD in various forms, and within a short time had regained the use of her legs, started working out and eliminated all of the prescription medications she was on. Sonya switched doctors as her previous ones were not happy with her taking the CBD, even though she was getting better. Her blood tests showed that she had put her Lupus into remission; she had no more seizures or paralysis. She has regained her life.
Sarah Benezue
Growing up in a small town in southern Mississippi, Sarah Benezue was abused as a child, but couldn’t say anything, due to being related to just about everyone. At 19 and pregnant, she earned her AAS in x-ray technology, where she went from job to job prior to discovering ultrasound, which became her passion. She began marketing a chain of Outpatient Imaging Centers, until 1996, when she began to notice symptoms such as extreme fatigue and numbness. Sarah was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis at this time. As she was unable to work full time, she opened a nail salon, which unfortunately closed soon after.
When she went back to work full time, she started to perform echo’s but again was hit with extreme fatigue. She was then diagnosed with Systemic Lupus, which also caused diabetes. Unfortunately, this diagnoses placed her in a nursing home on hospice for 4 years. Sarah moved into an assisted living facility for 6 years, but while there, felt like she wasn’t meant to be there. She felt like there was more that she should be doing for the greater good of those around her, and in the residence, she was not able to. In 2014, Sarah moved into her own apartment and went into remission. However, after being placed on long term steroids for the lupus and MS, she had realized that she had gained 200 pounds. When she looked in the mirror and realized that she didn’t know who she was any more, Sarah went through everything in her kitchen cabinets and realized that everything was processed with high fructose corn syrup, which bodies don’t process well, and which turns to fat immediately. As she loves sauces, especially ketchup and bbq sauce, Sarah started experimenting and created her own with no added sugars, no corn syrup and no high fructose corn syrup, and started her company J & L Sauces. Through using these sauces and healthy eating in general, she has lost 186 pounds and is no longer considered diabetic. She has used her personal experiences to help others change their lives as well. One thing she has seen from her own life is that no matter what you have been through, giving up is not an option. If you want it, you can do it.
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