Jenna Jacobs-Dick
Jacobs-Dick and three other 9/11 widows who gave birth after that day started "September Smiles" to honor their husbands...
Jenna Jacobs-Dick of Weston, Conn., lost her husband on 9/11. Six days later, she gave birth to their son, Gabriel. Jacobs-Dick and three other 9/11 widows who gave birth after that day, started "September Smiles" to honor their husbands and all those who suffered and died in the tragedy, to pay kindness forward by helping others, and to show their gratitude for all the support they received. The group has given back in the same spirit of giving that immediately followed 9/11 by helping other families facing unexpected loss.
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Debbie Forrest
She also has volunteered on behalf of a number of organizations and has raised hundreds of thousands of fundraising dollars for her community...
After 23 years of marriage and seven children, Debbie Forrest's husband Bill was killed at the age of 47 in an auto accident in 2000. Following his death, Forrest dedicated herself to her children, ages 4 to 21. She also has volunteered on behalf of a number of organizations and has raised hundreds of thousands of fundraising dollars for her community. All of her children have followed in her footsteps, excelling in school and the community. In July, Forrest received the 2004 National Parent of the Year award from the National Parents Day Council, which is a project of the American Family Coalition and funded by The Washington Times Foundation. It is the first time that the award has been given to a single parent.
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Beatriz S. Gonzales
She moved onto other business endeavors resulting in her recognition as the first female "Hispanic Business Person of the Year" in New Mexico...
Beatriz S. Gonzales married her husband Juan during high school. In 1975, at the age of 40, Juan died from injuries sustained in an auto accident; Gonzales was also seriously injured in the crash. Following a lengthy recovery, she cared for her six children and took charge of the family's construction business in an often challenging, male-dominated industry. After selling the family's business, she moved onto other business endeavors resulting in her recognition as the first female "Hispanic Business Person of the Year" in New Mexico in 1982. Today, Gonzales cares for her elderly parents in El Prado, New Mexico.
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JoAnn Osmond
She fought for better public health funding and sponsored the Physical Fitness Facility Medical Emergency Preparedness Act...
JoAnn Osmond's husband Tim, an Illinois State Legislator from Antioch, Ill., died of a heart attack in 2002. After his death, Osmond served the remainder of Tim's term in office. She fought for better public health funding and sponsored the Physical Fitness Facility Medical Emergency Preparedness Act which requires Auto External Defibrillators (AEDs) at indoor physical fitness facilities operated by a park district, municipality, school or university. Many opposed her proposed legislation because of the cost. Osmond argued it was nothing compared to the value of a human life. In August 2004, Illinois Governor Blagojevich signed the bill into law. She continues her husband's public service dream and has inspired her family, friends and constituents as she makes Illinois a better place to live.
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Mary Tupper
To gain strength from and help others through grief, she soon began work on a bereavement Web site, "Widows Forty Something and Under"...
Mary Tupper lost her 44-year-old husband Ed to a heart attack. To gain strength from and help others through grief, she soon began work on a bereavement Web site, "Widows Forty Something and Under." Tupper has stayed up all night supporting new widows, even talking some out of suicide. The site also helps women move on with life by celebrating new joys in life and the day-to-day issues of dealing with living on. The site grew to 400 members and the group became a non-profit in 2004. Tupper recently moved to Atlanta to become a licensed bereavement counselor.
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