No limits

Debby Cooper is a survivor.

When asked about the three most important events in her life, she named the birth of her two children and the day she got the transplant.

September 26, 2002 was the day Debby, now age 50, received a new lease on life.

After being sick for years with Gardner’s Syndrome, a new small intestine was what it took for her to be healthy once again. But despite the new organ, Debby knew that it was time to stop taking life for granted, and be thankful for the things she had.

“I learned that it’s important to make the most of each day that you have. There are small things that come up, but you just have to look past them,” Debby said.

Before receiving the new small intestine, Debby had to deal with a long list of illnesses. She had to visit the hospital frequently, fell asleep out of nowhere (anywhere), had trouble with nausea and achy joints. But now, because of her new organ and weekly treatments with dialysis, Debby is feeling like herself again.

Debby receives dialysis three times a week at Divita Dialysis in The Villages, Fla. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, for two hours and 45 minutes. “Ms. Cooper is certainly crafty. I always see her sewing new projects. We have our inside jokes and I enjoy her company,” said Sid Stanson, 41, a nurse at Divita.

Because the use of dialysis has improved Debby’s life and functionality, she has been able to take trips with her children and go places she wouldn’t be able to go if she weren’t healthy. “We got to travel to Washington D.C., New York and Barbados,” said Debby’s son, Billy Cooper, 27. “Her life expectancy is so much longer now, and I’m happy that she’ll be around to be around for my wedding, her grandchildren and other big events in our lives.”

Although the transplant did help improve Debby’s life in a significant way, she says she still has her bad days. “The dialysis can get tiresome,” said Debby. “Also, I have to take a lot of medications to regulate my blood. But you know what? It’s not really all that bad.” Spending time with her children and her daschund, Baby, keeps her happy and reminds her to stay healthy for them.

Out of Debby’s two children, her daughter Rebecca, 21, has the closest relationship with her. “Honestly, without the transplant, I don’t know if my mom would have lived this long. It’s so nice to have her here, when I know she may have not been otherwise. I’m happy she was able to see me graduate from high school. And she’ll be around to see me graduate in April,” said Rebecca.

Most importantly, Debby is happy to be healthy for herself. “I can do whatever I want now. There are no limits as to what I can accomplish.”