Beth Faranda:  

Since I graduated in 95 my life has not gone in the direction that I thought it would. I went to Maria College in Albany for Occupational Therapy. I hated college so much that I just dropped out. It was not for me at the time. I spent a few years doing what every teenage/early 20's kid does...I partied all the time. Had a great time doing it, had no responsibilties & just did what ever I wanted to at the time. That all changed in 1997. I woke up one morning & couldn't feel my legs. Needless to say, that scared the crap out of me. As I turned over the feeling came back, but I immediately made an appointment at my doctor. Within a couple of months I found myself having my first spinal fusion. It sucked...a lot. 6 months later, a screw broke in the fusion. I could hardly walk it was so painful. Then came fusion #2 in January 1998. 7 hours of surgery and I came out doing really well. 2 months later came the biggest surprise of my life. I was pregnant. I apparently was pregnant when I had my second fusion....SURPRISE. My daughter Kathleen came along 6 months later in September 1998. Thank God, she was completely normal despite being there through 7 hours of surgery. I had met my husband Phill at Miracles, now JJ Rafferty's in Latham in 1997. The second I saw him I knew I was going to marry him. So 1 year and 4 days after our daughter Kathleen was born we were married(9-19-99). We did the all out big wedding and had the time of our lives. I started working for the State in June of 1999 & have been in the same department since. Its not exciting but it pays the bills. Our son, Phillip Jr. was born in January 2001 with no great catastrophes. As he got older I noticed that he was a little...off. After months of my family telling me he was just being a boy, he was diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome. It is a high functioning form of autism. He is doing much better now since we have had him diagonosed & medicated. Like a complete turn around from the way he used to be. October 2011, the 8th to be exact, I got some very exciting and yet very scarey news.....I was pregnant with our 3rd and final child. Now keep in mind that I was 35 & hadn't had a baby in 12 years....it was like I was pregnant for the first time again. Jensie Catherine was born on May 22, 2012. She gave us a scare at first, she came out purple, so dark she was ...Expand for more