Showing posts with label woman loses legs in tornado. Show all posts
Showing posts with label woman loses legs in tornado. Show all posts

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Woman turns her personal tragedy into the Stephanie Decker Foundation to help kids with disabilities. "I'm a better person now," says Decker. "Life goes on."

When a storm of deadly twisters ravaged Indiana in March 2012, Stephanie Decker saved her two kids – but lost both her legs. 

Now, less than a year after the tragedy, Decker, 38 – who describes the sacrifice as a "small price to pay" for her kids' safety – is already up on prosthetic legs thanks to countless hours of grueling physical therapy. She has barely let the traumatic experience slow her down – and instead created the Stephanie Decker Foundation that aims to help kids with disabilities. 

"I'm a better person now," says Decker. "Life goes on." 

The tornado that ripped through Henryville leveled the Deckers' house on top of Stephanie as she covered son Dominic, 9, and daughter Reese, 6. A steel beam crashed down on top of the three of them, but her children escaped the disaster without a scratch. 

"As parents, we sacrifice for our kids," says Decker.