Here's the detailed story of Debi's journey....

At 41 years old, Debi Moretta's life was similar to a lot of other women her age. She was happily married for 14 years to her husband, Nick. They had two children John, age 15 and Kristina, age 12. Debi was a typical mini-van driving, stay at home mother who played taxi driver to her children. She took them to hockey and cheerleading practices, cooked the family dinners, liked to knit and make crafts, and occasionally worked part-time in the elementary school cafeteria. She was always there for her family and friends. Like so many other middle-aged women, she decided to go back to school to earn a degree. In December of 2001, she finished college and earned her paralegal certificate, a feat she was very proud of. But just as everything seemed to be going along as planned, her life took a turn that nobody could have foreseen.

In February of 2002, Debi started feeling sick. She had a fever that wouldn't go away and she felt dizzy & weak. Initially, the doctors did not really know what was wrong with her. She had to keep going back to the doctor's office because she knew something was not right. Finally, they admitted her to the hospital. They had found that she had lost a lot of blood internally. After running numerous tests and a two-day stay in the hospital, a doctor came into her room with news that would change her life forever. With her sister and husband in the room, the doctor delivered some shocking news. He told Debi that she has leukemia. Although Debi's was terrified at first, the doctor reassured her that it's 70-100% curable and that she would be just fine after chemotherapy and possible a bone marrow transplant. Debi was worried about just going through the chemotherapy process, losing her hair, feeling sick, etc. Her real worry was that she could get an infection in the process because her immune system would diminish entirely.

Within only two days after getting the diagnosis, she started her chemotherapy treatment for Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). She had to stay in the hospital and take a bag of it a day for 7 straight days. Although scared, Debi had a fantastic attitude going into the treatment. She kept a daily journal of her experience. She took the treatment very well, hardly getting sick. She did everything the doctors instructed her to, drinking plenty of water and taking daily walks throughout the halls. With her mother, father, two sisters, and her husband and kids by her side daily, she kept them strong by being so positive. She was still playing the role of oldest sister and mother to everyone else, making sure the family was emotionally alright.

The following is what she wrote in her journal regarding her ordeal:

"March 1, 02- Well Happy Anniversary! I started chemo last night about 5:00. I was really afraid because I didn't know how I would take it. Thank God, no reactions! So far. I feel about the same. In fact, I feel better now than when I was at home sick. My fever is finally down to the 97's and that helps. I'm being vigilant with drinking water and rinsing my mouth to help ward off any problems. My attitude is I'm fighting a war. I'm using any ammunition I can against this enemy. I will win! Nick and the kids worry me though. I know they feel helpless but they do more than they know. Just being able to talk to them about everyday things helps. It's a glimmer of normal life instead of this surreal life I'm living, that I'm floating through. I guess the water and rinsing thing gives me some control back in that sense. One Step Closer! That's my motto. I'm closer today to being cured than I was yesterday."

She had someone make a sign for her to put up on the wall said "ONE STEP CLOSER". Her attitude could not have been better! Debi knew that she had to get a bone marrow transplant after the chemotherapy so both of her sisters got tested immediately to see if they were a match. Debi was really worried that she wouldn't get a match. The odds of either sibling being a match was about 25-33%. The results would not come back for three weeks, however.

Somewhere around the middle of her chemotherapy treatment, on about March 3, Debi said she was lying on her left side very early in the morning when she suddenly felt two people sit on her bed, one on each side of her. She opened her eyes expecting to see the person on the left side, but no one was there. She then glanced over her right shoulder to look at the person on the right side, but again, no one was there. Debi said she felt great peace with that and told her visitors that she felt their presence with her. Later that day she told her mother about what had happened. Her mom began to cry when she heard the news and told Debi that she had be praying the night before and asked Debi's two deceased grandmothers to go to the hospital and take care of her. Debi felt very good about this, but Nick on the other hand was very uneasy about what was going on. He could remember asking Debi why these visitors would feel the need to let her know they were there.

Debi wrote the following in her journal on March 8:

"The last bag (7th) of chemo finished yesterday at 5:00. Right now I'm not hooked up to anything. that feels really good. I don't know how long that will last though. I got a copy of my labs this a.m. and my WBC went from 400 to 700. It's supposed to go the other way. This may mean I'll have to have another round of chemo. I'm pretty down about that this morning. I haven't talked to the doctor yet today though. I'm just preparing myself for that news. I was hoping we could get everything the first round! I guess this invader is going to be tough; I'll just have to be tougher!"

On the night of March 8, Debi was feeling great and Nick left her around 9:00 P.M. to head home. He called her around 7:00 A.M. on March 9 (Saturday) and she had said that after he left, she began to feel ill and just wanted to rest all day. Debi's mother sat at her bedside most of the day and left around 7:00 P.M. Nick had called her several times throughout the course of the day asking if she was feeling any better so the kids and he could drop by, but she said she just needed to rest. Around 9:00 P.M. he called one last time to say good night and even though she answered the phone, several times during their conversation she sounded as though she were drunk. He asked her to call the nurse so that he could find out just what was going on. Her nurse that night told him that she had a fever, which he was cooling with ice packs under her arms and that was the reason she sounded lethargic. Nick asked him if he thought that he needed to be there, but he assured Nick that there was no need for that and that she'd be fine. Nick figured it was the effect of the chemo finally kicking in and that she'd probably feel much better in the morning. Nobody had foreseen what was about to happen.

The next morning March 10 (Sunday), Nick called Debi's room around 7:00 A.M. as he always did but this time there was no answer. He then called the nurses station and asked if his wife were in her room because she's not answering the phone. They told him as far as they knew she was but to call back in around 30 minutes because of their shift change. He then called back to her room a couple more times when finally a nurse answered the phone. She told Nick that Debi was not responding and appeared to be in a coma. He was then given a doctor to talk with, but he sounded rather dumbfounded with what was going on and said that he would need to start running some tests. Nick told him that he would be there as soon as possible and hung up. Nick then called Debi's parents to let them know what was going on and the kids and Nick jumped in the car to head for Kaiser. Kaiser's about 35 miles from where they live and none of them said a single word the entire trip. Nick remembers thinking: "How did they not know that my wife had lapsed into a coma during the night? How was that possible?"

Her family rushed to the hospital, in shock because of what was happening. After seeing her like this, everyone huddled together in the waiting room hysterically crying and trying to grasp what was happening. Was this really happening or was it just a nightmare that they would eventually wake up from? How could this happen to someone who had such a great attitude and who was just fine the day before?

Nobody ever discussed to the family or to Debi that this was possible. The doctors had no real explanation why this had happened. At first they came up with many possible causes for it. The family was told that she had everything from an infection, to meningitis, to a stroke, to bleeding on the brain. But there were no concrete answers and no prognosis at the time.

Four days later, the doctors told her mom and husband that Debi will not survive and they need to think of the possibility of "pulling the plug" because the brain damage was so severe. The entire family, still in shock, had to make the most difficult decision of their lives, so they planned to meet that night to discuss their options. Nick then left the hospital and headed for home to get some well-deserved rest before the meeting. On his way home he said he did a lot of thinking and could remembered Debi telling him about a tape that she had made during a visit with a psychic in 1997. She said the psychic had told her that her life would change at 42. When he finally got home, he decided to listen to the tape just to hear Debi's voice once again. Sure enough, there it was "your life will change at 42, but it will be alright", the psychic said to her. And here it was, just five short days from Debi's 42nd birthday. Nobody could fathom the thought of giving up on Debi...she was a fighter and if she didn't give up, then why should they? That night they made the decision that they decided to get another opinion and have her moved to another hospital, Kaiser Foundation Hospital in Hollywood.

When she arrived there, Debi was in bad shape. Because her white count was almost zero because of the chemo, she developed a fungal infection and pneumonia. Her husband Nick and her family made the long drive to visit Debi everyday. It took Nick an hour and a half to get there from his home in Victorville. But the family made sure somebody was there for her every day while she lay in a coma in the ICU with tubes, and IV's hooked up to her everywhere. For her 42 birthday, the nurses and family gathered around her bed and sang Happy Birthday to her. Although it wasn't a happy birthday, everyone was thankful that she was alive.

After a couple weeks, the doctors did not think she'd make it because of the infections. One day the doctor told her sisters and mother that she probably wouldn't make it because "those infections are hard for a healthy person to beat, much less someone as sick as Debi". But the family all continued to sit by her bedside and talk to her. Nick and her mom were there everyday. They made sure Debi was treated good and made sure Debi knew she was not alone. Each day the family gathered around Debi's bed to let her know how much they all loved her and that she was not going through this nightmare alone. They'd also play her music and recordings that her children would make each night before going to sleep to keep her in touch with regard to their young lives. At the time, Nick was using up the last of his vacation days and was very worried about what might become of Debi when he had to return to work. Both of Debi's sisters as well as her father were working, which only left her mother and Nick able to visit during the week. Nick knew the drive to Los Angeles was way too far for her mom to do on her own, so he prayed that Debi would recover enough to at least be able to communicate her needs to the nurses. Nick works for Southern California Edison and his supervisor had told him they were looking into a way of getting him more time off. His supervisor adopted a letter which was sent out to every employee explaining their situation and asking for vacation donations. The results were staggering. They had collected almost six months of paid vacation for Nick! Amidst all the bad that was going on, this was like a gift from God!

Still hanging on, Debi's eyes started opening after about a month in the coma. But of course she didn't respond to any stimulus. The family, however, all knew that Debi was still in there, fighting to stay alive and win this war. She stayed in the ICU in Hollywood for about six weeks. Debi managed to fight off all of her infections and her white count went up to the normal level. The leukemia seemed to be in remission. During this time period, it was discovered that both of her sisters were perfect matches for Debi's bone marrow. It seemed as though Debi was destined to be cured from this terrible disease. But ironically, the disease itself wasn't her main enemy.

The family was about to hear possibly their worst news yet. After running numerous tests, the doctors held a meeting with the family and basically said that Debi was PVS (persistent vegetative state). They said her brain injury was severe and that they'd never seen a case like hers (they said it was a "landmark case"). They didn't give her much hope at ever being able to do much of anything by herself. They said she probably would never be able to walk, eat, or move on her own. She wouldn't be able to communicate or be cognitive of her surroundings. Even with the fact that she found perfect bone marrow matches, Debi could not go forward with a transplant given her current mental condition. The family never believed that, however and they were still not going to give up hope that Debi would progress and be cured. They wanted her to be in a brain injury rehab program. Having to be very persistent, Nick fought to get her admitted to Casa Colina Rehab Hospital in Pomona.

While there, Debi started responding by looking at who was talking, and by slightly moving her legs and hands when she was asked. Sometimes her family would tell her something and her facial expressions indicated that she was still in there (she just couldn't get her brain to move her body). During this entire time she had to use a feeding tube and a catheter, but she never had to be on a ventilator to breathe...she was always able to breath on her own. Debi was seemed to be showing some progress with the help of physical therapists, speech therapists, and occupational therapists while at Casa Colina. This encouraged the family not to give up hope.

But after three weeks at the rehab hospital, Debi's course would be altered again. She had a very severe seizure. They immediately rushed her to emergency at Pomona Valley Hospital. While there, they hooked her up to a ventilator. Everyone knew doing this was bad for Debi because ventilators can cause infections and that's not good with someone in her condition. At one point, it looked like Debi was not going to make it because her vitals were so bad. But they gave her morphine and that seemed to get her heart rate stable again. After five days, they were able to wean her off of the vent and Debi proved to be a fighter once again and made it through this ordeal. So after two weeks in ICU, they sent her to Kaiser Hospital in Riverside instead of back to the rehab center for fear she was not well enough to benefit from therapy.

While in the Riverside facility, Debi was not provided with much therapy. Nick gave her most of the physical therapy as he was with her every day. After about three weeks, her progress was unbelievable! Debi started to move her legs and arms better than ever. One of the highlights of her stay in Riverside was when she laughed for the first time. Her mom and sister just arrived to see her so Nick went out to get a soda. They were telling her a story that was funny & Debi started laughing. Of course Nick had just left the room so he didn't get to see it. When he returned five minutes later, he couldn't believe it! He thought they were crazy and that she was displaying pain, but they told her the same story and she laughed again! She laughed about eight times. All three were crying because they were so happy. This was one of the best things that has happened for them throughout the ordeal.

Over the next week, she would only laugh maybe once a day. Nick would tell her to move her finger for yes and then ask questions. She was able to somewhat communicate that way. It took her a little while to move what she needed to move, but they saw progress. Being able to do what she was asked meant that she was definitely not in a persistent vegetative state like the doctors had thought. She even tried to make some sounds. They also saw her nodding her head and the nurses were excited about her progress as well. It's almost as if that "seizure" she had at Casa Colina sparked something in her brain to make her more responsive.

Debi spent the entire summer at the Riverside facility with only Nick helping with the physical therapy. Although Debi could not move well on her own, or speak or swallow, she did not have any physical or speech therapy while at this hospital setting. Once again, Nick fought hard to get her placed back at Casa Colina. In mid-August, Debi was admitted back into Casa Colina Rehab Hospital where she was able to get more extensive therapy. With daily help from speech therapy, Debi was able to vocalize the word "Hi". She also seemed to be more alert in the rehab facility. Her white blood count was very low throughout this time and visitors had to wear masks when they were in her presence. In October, Debi re-gained the ability to cry. The uncontrollable crying was hard for the family to watch, but they knew it was something she had not been able to do for the past seven months, so it was progress.

Around this same time, Debi was able to move her arms and legs a little better as well. She also started to regain control of her facial muscles and was able to smile just like she used to. Debi has a beautiful smile and even though she has gone through hell in the last year, she still managed to smile and laugh at appropriate times. After spending most of the day doing rehab, Debi would watch television at night. She would watch reruns of Friends, Will & Grace, and Everybody Loves Raymond. She looked so content watching these shows, laughing hysterically at all the funny parts. Watching her view these shows further demonstrated to every one around her how much she was really "in there". Nick continued to drive down the hill everyday to spend the entire day with Debi. He took care of her completely. Her mother and father and sisters would also rotate days so that at least one of them were there each day for her as well. Debi knew that she was not alone during her fight to win this war. The holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas were also spent at the rehab facility lounge with the entire family. Her daughter Kristina celebrated her 13th birthday there as well. Although Debi could not speak, she was sure to feel the intense love and caring that her family had to offer.

On January 18, 2003, after 326 days and five hospitals, Debi finally came home. Even though the family wanted her to stay at the rehab facility, financial restrictions would not allow her to stay. Nick agreed to take her home and take care of her. His work ended up donating more of their vacation days to make this possible. He does not have to return to work until at least the end of October. If Nick couldn't be at home to take care of Debi, she would most likely be in a nursing home...at the tender age of 42. Once at home, Debi seemed to feel more at ease. Nick continued doing the physical therapy and taking care of her every need. He has to carry her from wheel chair to the bed, change her, make sure the feeding tube is working & replace her food, and give her medicines. On top of all this, he has to help raise his two teenage children who are trying to cope with this tragic situation as well.

Debi celebrated her 43rd birthday on March 19 at home with her family and friends. A few days later, the oncologist stated that her blood test indicated the cancer is still in remission. Progress in other areas seemed slow and sometimes non-existent. She has good days and bad days, as well as her family who are also going through this with her. Debi continues to prove to everyone who knows her how much of a fighter she really is and how she is trying to get one step closer to a miracle. Just like she said before in her journal: "I guess this invader is going to be tough; I'll just have to be tougher!" I'm fighting a war. I'm using any ammunition I can against this enemy. I will win! After conquering so many obstacles that were in her way, nobody will doubt that she will indeed win.

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