By My Bootstraps: A Journey Through Grit, Grace, and Gratitude (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9798218005351)

"God allows us to give rise to the practice of two beautiful virtues: perseverance, which leads us to attain the goal, and constancy, which helps us to overcome difficulties." - St. Vincent de Paul

Being the unexpected daughter of young parents in one of the poorest areas of rural Missouri, Debra experienced hardship and traumas from an early age. Her father's service in the US Air Force forced him to spend her childhood overseas, and her mother's ongoing battle with depression and codependency exposed Debra to abuse and the consequences of addiction. Still, she was blessed with many positive role models that came into her life, and she drew from them the courage to overcome her circumstances and pursue her own ambitions. This same courage would later get her through the nightmare of post-traumatic stress disorder in her own home.

This is the story of a young woman who found the strength and resiliency to break free from the cycle of poverty and become an advocate for those who are unable to speak for themselves. It is the journey of a woman who leaned on God during her darkest hours to find the grit, grace, and gratitude to forge forward.