This is one of My New Hats for the Fall 2008 - #049 Cape Rainbow wth Black Strand Merino

I was born in Boston, MA. I started ebay about 5 years ago with two goals...The first goal was to sell Myhats which have a history with the Food Pantry and to raise money for the people in need that are served by that organization. Thanks to ebayers who purchased a My Hat, a little over 700lbs. of Food was raised and donated in 2005/2006. The second goal was to earn the money for a surgeries I desperately need that is not covered by insurance. Every time you purchase a My Hat or another item on my site...you are supporting these two goals. I still I have two-thirds of the way to go and I am going to just keep going. Thanks in advance to all ebayers who visit and purchase from my site. I've met a lot of nice people here and hope to meet more.  ;O)

Note: May 2006

Good News! April, 2006, Thanks to "ebayers" I earned enough money to have one third of the surgery I need.  I was a competitive roller skater. It was my whole life and I was about to go pro. I was on my way to the rink early one Sunday Morning when a car accident that no one understands how I escaped without a scratch after being hit by two cars and a truck at 65 mph caused by a 4th car, a woman travelling the wrong way on a major highway. I was left with multiple internal injuries to my neck and jaw. Skating career ended. The extent of my injuries were determined years after the accident. For 4-5 years, it hurt to touch or have anything touch my skin.  I had to walk in baby steps. I got there, it just took a whole lot longer. I was forced to leave my successful business of design. I went back to school. I never missed a day. Every day I lived in torturing nerve pain. My arms and legs were swollen, I couldn't wear shoes and one arm, my writing arm supported a clubbed hand that I could barely feel. I couldn't carry my books so I spent every waking hour lying face down on a cot with my head hanging over the edge just enough to see my books on the floor so I could memorize the pages. I did so well I was referred to Smith College. Hello fello Smithie's! In my first year I was working for 3 professors. I found myself spending more time designing an maufacturing new lab instruments for our DNA studies than working in the lab. Everything worked. My professors bought it all. I earned master keyholder to the buildings, so I was in my glory with every tool I needed at my hands. I also earned Senior Studies with my lab experiment I designed to continue research on my hypothesis. This meant I didn't have to take any classes my Senior year. Well facing my senior year, my body gave up. All that work and I had to leave Smith College. I was an honor roll A student but I would not receive a degree. I was heartbroken but too sick to focus on my loss. Smith forced me to leave campus and the Smith lawyer was so honest as to tell me that despite the fact I was one of their finest students, I had to leave just because of liability. Smith gave me one week to find a place to live. I had to take what I could afford...a darling 10" x 14" room with a sink that dripped 24/7, no bathroom, and no furniture. I slept on a pile of blankets. In the 12th year of living like this I found myself with no food for a year. Then someone helped me find the Survival Center. They not only filled my house with food but they helped me get it to my room. I was a low as I could get and giving up. I kept going another 3 years and in the 16th year after the accident doctors found the problem and an "Angel" helped me to get an adorable small apartment and life got so much better. Once in my beautiful new apartment, I went through 3 years of surgeries and recovery time. Now my neck is almost back to as perfect as it will ever be. Day to day I live in tremendous pain from damage to the nerves that were compressed, rather crushed, for too many years. I still can't feel the surface of my hands. Yes it's frustrating. It's like having the dropsies all day, every day. I make the best of it, no it's not easy. I just keep reminding myself it will get better in time. As soon as I could use my hands again I started "My Hats" which is a charity to return to the Survival Center so they can help others. My story here is not for pity but to inspire those who may have a disability or are suffering from a serious injury. Don't give up, just find another way to do it. Right now I am back on the road to living my dream. I love to design and ebay keeps me going with new challenges everyday. I have just finished my first design "My Sleepy Bed" and soon you will see other designs here on ebay, so Stay tuned! Someday my website that is stuck in under construction mode is going to work and I will have my business again.  When I had my accident I was an athlete, I had enough money to buy a house in cash and my own successful business. Then my whole life changed in an instant. If I had to do it over again I wouldn't change a thing. I got a free life experience education that money could never buy. My dream is to get my small business back and running in my own small building where I can offer employment to people with disabilities. If I can make it with what I have battled, anyone can. This is a big dream that I have, I will make it happen! ;O)

As for my jaw, the future holds hope as I raise money here on ebay. To keep it simple...I have not been able to chew any food for 11 years. I hope to raise enough money here on ebay to get my surgeries completed by the end of 2007. I am 1/3 of the way there and have some of the surgery completed. Thank you ebayers for making one third of my dream come true. ;O)

Note: Sep 2006

Well the bad news was the surgery went a little wrong. The good news is with a second surgery...this will be completely corrected...extra surgery, more money, more fun. I am enjoying working for this 11 year goal. When I am done I am going to feel accomplished. I have to take the time to say "THANK YOU EBAYERS"...it is because of your support on my sight that I am accomplishing my goal! Still got more than 1/2 way to go, as I need to raise a whole big huge gigantic lot more money, and I WILL do it! ;O)

Note: January 2007

Surgery today got me close to the 1/2 way mark and by the end of this year, I hope to have the work completed. Getting there, THANK YOU EBAYERS for your support on my site and THANKS for your support with My Hats! ;O)

Note: May 29 2007

The good news is that June 21 I will complete the work on my lower jaw with the help of Dentists and Surgeons. This was the necessary work. Next I will work on raising money to get the other 1/2 of the work on the top. But for this moment the bad news is that with all the money you all helped me raise to pay these specialists, I am short just $600.00. Ebayer's, I need some help. I have 4 weeks to find $600.00. If you are interested in anything on my site I could really use your help right now more than ever! When the lower jaw is completed I will be able to eat normally again and look just exactly like I used too! Thanks in advance to all. Many of you ebayers have been very generous and I can't express how much I appreciate it! I have had to keep my website moving slow because of cost of this surgery but it should be opening very soon and developing after June. ;O)

Note: June 21, 2007: Almost Done! June 21 a wonderful surgeon finished my work allowing me to owe the remainder $400.00. Soon I will be able to eat like a real person. I am so grateful. The generosity of you ebayers who have purchased on my site is what made it happen for me. I still have a little way to go on the owe. But surgery is finished and life is so much better for me now. Thanks!  ;O)  ;O) ;O)

Note: August 20, 2007: Almost Done...or so I thought. I did pay the remainder of the $400.00 so my part is done, but when the surgery went wrong the first time, it went wronger than I thought and no one told me. It was because the first surgery was done incorrectly, the final work failed. The first surgeon did not have the necessary expertise. I found out the hard way. This is as hard for me to write as it may be for you to believe, but I know I am not the only one that this has happened to and  it is too complicated to explain to you. The first surgeon took half of my life's savings and said too bad. The person that did the final work that failed shortly after he was done at least felt bad but did still kept the other half of my money. Technically it wasn't his fault, but I am out 15,000.00. Now I am starting over with a level up top notch specialist, that means they charge a way whole lot more. At the expensive of more X-rays and  consult, they told me the work was all done wrong and they can fix this and at a discounted price of  $12,000.00. They feel bad, actually everyone does except for the surgeon who did the initial work wrong and permanantly disfigured my lower jaw, but the new specialist does have the expertise to fix the problem.

I am back to where I was 12 years ago, saving every penny. No I don't feel sorry for myself. I grew up poor so I have lot's of survival experience, but I am very angry. Anyhow, I decided I will make it happen, I will find the money and I will smile again and be able to eat real food. It's ironic, my nickname was smiley and I used to love to eat. Right now I can't smile like I want to or chew real food. It's no fun, I am starting over. Thank you ebayers for all your help so far and I continue to need your help with sales on my site. You can see a pic of me on my website which is myhats.org (see link to click on at bottom of page) when you click on visit northampton in the left side column, you will see me smiling with a little photo shop touch up, I love to smile, but I still can't eat...thanks and I am so sorry to write something like this but I have no choice but to ask people for help. I was informed that until I have the full amount 12,000.00 up front that no work can be done. I need some help.

December 16, 2008 Last night I was sitting at my computer and a donation came in which I thought was from my website because I have a donation button there for My Hats. I realized the donation was sent to me when I saw the message in the purpose box which read "For Debra's Jaw Surgery". I want the buyer to know that you can't imagine how you touched my heart and I thank you, a complete stranger helping a complete stranger. I'm not a good taker but right now I have no choice. I think we are all that way, right, we want to be on the giving end. It meant a lot and it's the best Christmas present I have ever received. I still have a long way to go and I want to thank that buyer for helping me get closer.

March 10, 2009 Well along with what I've been selling on ebay to raise money to fix my dental situation, for the past 5 years, here and there, I sold everything but the kitchen sink and I ran out of extra stuff to sell. Rather than look at this like "all I have left is the kitchen sink", I decided to view it as a positive thing, that is, "I still have the kitchen sink". Lightbulb... "Why not sell that"? But I realized that I only had one kitchen sink, roadblock right, nope! I got the lead out and worked that out. Where there's a will there's a way. If you are reading this and want to help me raise the $12,000 I need for this necessary procedure, copy and paste or type item number 220375471990 in your "ebay search box". See how I turned one kitchen sink into 6,000 kitchen sinks. If I can sell 6,000 kitchen sinks I will be able to get my jaw fixed and I will be able to eat again. Hey, if you are not interested in a kitchen sink, or maybe you already have one, hopefully you will enjoy my sense of humor and have a good laugh.  Thanks to all the ebayers out there that have made purchases and supported me with kind email. I read them all and appreciate each and every one ;O)

debra4hats ;O)