To say that my life has been plagued by problems would be an extreme understatement. In general, people I meet find it hard to believe some of the things I have experienced. I have a positive character and always look for the best in every situation. This makes it harder for some people to understand how I've been through so much without allowing it to make me bitter and cold. I came from a poor family and never attended school or received any form of education or socialization until I became an adult. I had emergency heart surgery when I was 22. I was homeless at 23 and when I turned 24 I joined the Navy in hopes of changing my bad luck. And for a short time I did. My life was perfect, but then something changed. Maybe the tragedy itself wasn't the worst of my life, but it was much more painful because for the first time in my life I had something precious and I was terrified of losing it. My daughter Allison was born three months premature and it was the worst experience of my life. But the lessons I learned changed my life for the better. In August of 2009, my husband and I received news that our request to be co-located (stationed in the same area) had been denied by the Navy. We were both on active duty at the time. I was stationed in Illinois and he would be stationed on a ship that stayed in Maine for 10 months, then moved to Virginia where he would stay for four years. He reported to his command in early October and was left stressed, overwhelmed and alone. I was almost six months pregnant at the time and would have to find an apartment, leave my shack, prepare for a baby and maybe give birth to him myself if he couldn't make it back in time. I was stressed and… halfway… sometimes I need to be revived. Test after test, everyone involved in her care was amazed at how wonderfully she survived and made progress. Two months after her birth she was allowed to return home, just two days before Christmas. My daughter is now four years old. She has developed on a normal timeline and continues to meet all of her growth milestones. He does not suffer from cognitive problems, vision problems or any of the other defects that doctors feared he had. I couldn't feel happier to have this wonderful little girl as my daughter. I learned a lot from this challenging experience. In particular, I've learned that no matter how sad a situation may seem, or what people say the outcome will be, that's not necessarily how things are. Now I can confidently say that I believe I will make it through whatever life throws at me.