My name is Glenn Russell Borken. I would like to tell you about my little sister.
Sometimes, prayers are answered in unexpected ways.

Vicki Frances Borken was born on February 13, 1961, the youngest of four children born to our late parents, Norman and Selma Borken. I was number three, the only boy, and we have two older sisters, Sharon and Marian.

As a baby, she was very mischievous. At three months, she could climb out of her playpen. At six months, she could walk and climb. When she was two years old, her deformity was revealed after she had overturned a dresser. Although she was not injured, my parents noticed that Vicki’s left foot was a little larger titan her right. They brought Vicki to a Pediatrician, who diagnosed her with “Milroy’s Disease”, also known as “Lymphadema”, the main symptom of which is insufficient drainage of the lymph glands, usually affecting the legs.

By the age of three, there was a marked difference in the size of her legs. Around this time she became interested in swimming. As her two sisters were accomplished swimmers, she naturally took to this sport. By the age of three and a half, she took part in her first meet and earned her first ribbon. The meet was televised, and Vicki caused a quite a stir.

Vicki went on to be a star athlete, not just in swimming, but also softball, water polo, volleyball, gymnastics and basketball in her High School years at North Miami Beach High. She was one of the top ten water polo players in the country, winning many ribbons and trophies; she was MVP, Athlete of the Week, All-Journal, All- City, All-County, All-State, and All-American.

Although her condition started to worsen, causing multiple infections, she had various jobs throughout her twenties. By then, it was already difficult for her to stand or sit for long periods, and the condition had spread to her right leg, now also severely deformed. It became impossible for her to hold a job, so she began to receive SSI.

On December 1, 1998, Vicki gave birth to a beautiful baby girl named Brichele Marinda, nicknamed “Breezy”. Thankfully, Brichele did not inherit Milroy’s. Vicki is a single mother and needs a lot of assistance. Vicki survives on government subsidies, although she would prefer to be working. She beautiful, intelligent, and talented; she has always helped friends or family in need. She can barely fit into a normal size car, let alone drive, without risking infection Vicki has to be hospitalized at least twice a year. She relies on family, friends, and public transportation to buy groceries or get to medical appointments.

After Vicki was recently hospitalized, she came home, and the next day, Vicki’s Life Partner and Fiancé, Robert Augustine, passed away suddenly. Vicki was so shattered by Robert’s death, that she needed to be admitted to the hospital again. At the same time, she was experiencing another severe infection, so far, the worst she had ever experienced. One day, shortly after she was back at Memorial, she became very agitated; she was in so much pain, shehad to be put under sedation. As she fell asleep, Vicki started to pray. If was then that a miracle happened.

A nurse woke Vicki up. There was a new Doctor in the room to see her, that she had never seen before. A Vascular Surgeon, Dr. Sean O'Donnell, had been called in to evaluate Vicki’s condition for possible surgical solutions. He recommended a radical, risky type of surgery known as the “Charles Procedure". This Technique had actually been around for about one hundred years, and Dr. O'Donnell had performed it on several patients. No-one had ever offered this to Vicki before; there are only a few surgeons trained in this procedure, and Dr. O'Donnell was new at Hollywood Memorial.

A few weeks ago, Vicki recently underwent the “Charles Procedure”. Bulk tissue was removed from her left leg. She is now undergoing multiple painful skin grafts. She is learning how to walk again. The “Charles Procedure” is not a cure, but will greatly improve the quality of life for Vicki and Breezy. If not for this strange, incurable, disabling disease, Vicki could have gone on to the Olympics. It used to be her life-long dream to be a swimming coach, but now, she says, she just wants a normal life for her daughter, who is now a teenager. Vicki may be a mother now, but we all still know her as our “little sister”.

Vicki was recently transferred to the Rehabilitation Facility at Hollywood Memorial South. She has been told that she may be discharged in as little as a week. She will need to stay somewhere after leaving the Rehab, and she needs to have a place to go. However, since losing her Life Partner, she has become homeless. Right now, her daughter has been staying with family members, but Vicki needs a new apartment. Average two-bedroom apartments in this area run around $1000.00 a month, and Vicki receives only about $700.00 a month SSI benefits. Additionally, most landlords are asking for a month’s rent deposit plus first and last month’s rent. Vicki is heavily in debt, and needs assistance. She needs to find a new home, and help with paying bills. Her prayers have begun to be answered, but hopefully, the miracle has just begun. When she is released from the hospital, she will still be receiving therapy and home health care for many months.

Read Story Online at
http://www.examiner.com/article/my-little-sister-vicki