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Jenn's Story
I bet you would love to know her
name the little precious baby is Jennifer. This was not English when they
told her Mother Joanne Deprizio and her father Richard and her
Grandmother. After they diagnosed Jennifer with EB, she was in the
hospital for 3 or 4 months in isolation to guard against infection, so
they could teach Jennifers mother how to take care of the wounds that
Jenn had and the blisters that would appear after a slight bump or scrap
of the skin. Her skin is very fragile. Photo: Jenn in
the hospital right after she was born.
One year later the
girls mother Joanne was pregnant with her son Anthony, by a different
father. So she had three kids to take care of. Nothing much was said about
Anthonys father. Joanne was a very busy mother. She had 3 babies and to
top it all off she had one with a very rare skin disorder and had to teach
herself a lot about Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB) for short.
Photo: Jenn sleeping in her crib with her snowman. After Jennifer and Jodi where born their father Richard tried to help their mother Joanne, but she did not want their father anywhere near the girls. He wanted to help her because he loved his two baby girls. But Joanne kept their daddy away from them, so Jennifer and Jodi grew up without knowing their own father. They thought that their mothers boyfriends was their father (she had more then one). Joanne let the girls think that. The Deprizio family was still living in Wilmington Delaware. As the years went on their mother Joanne was getting abusive, mentally, physically and emotionally with Jodi, then Joanne stared to be abusive with Jennifer. Anthony was mommys little boy.
Jodi and Jennifers
Grandmother Shirley wanted to get custody of the girls, because she new Joanne was
abusing them. One day she called Photo: Jennifer's first walk Well, as you know Jennifer was born with a very rare skin disorder and she had to grow up fast because of it. She was a very smart little 8 year old, smarter then a normal 8 year old would be. Anyway Jodi and Jennifer where very close and they both knew that. One night Jodi told Jennifer that Gary (one of their mothers boyfriends) was sexually abusing her, this went on for years before she told me. Jennifer told her sister that they had to tell their mother that this was happening, may I remind you that their mother was physically abusing her already, well Jennifer and Jodi told their mother and she did not believe them at first. She got very angry with Jodi because he was doing that to her. Jodi did not know that this was wrong she was a little innocent girl at that time. Joanne was even getting worse with the physically abuse with Jodi. Nobody knew why she was like this just with Jodi and some with Jennifer. Jodi also told her teacher and her teacher called Child Protective Services who then investigated.
A few weeks later
Joanne called the Police and told them what has happened and they told her
to bring Jodi to the Police station so they can talk with her about what
Gary did to her. The hospital also examined her. Photo: Jenn,
Anthony, Joanne and Jody. Jenn was 14 years old
Jodi was 13 years old and Anthony was 12 years of age. So, one night
something awoke Jenn and something was telling her to go in her sisters room and she did and there was
that scum ball he was TRYING to sexually abuse Jenns sister Jodi, but
Jenn did not let that happen because Jodi sister knew what
she was going through with Joanne abusing her in every way
she could so, her loving sister Jenn went in the room and was
hitting on Robbie, even though she has a skin disorder she was a
strong little girl. So, the sexual abuse, mental abuse, physically abuse went on for
years to come, it was not getting any Photo: Jennifer's third birthday So, time went on and they lost that nice trailer they had all because Joanne would not pay the rent. Keep in mind that Robbie was still with Joanne, and living with them! I dont think Jennifer realized that she had a disability at this time, because so much was going on in her life at this point!! She would get an infection EVERY month and would be in the hospital for a week!! She was suffering from malnutrition because her mother was not caring for Jennifer the way Joanne should have been! Jennifer was 42 lbs and was 4 feet; this was very bad. Jenn was nothing but skin and bone!! Jennifer almost died a few times because the infections got so bad. The hospital was like a second home for Jennifer. She liked the hospital better then her home, she was so happy when she would go in. Because she was away from the bad life she did not want!! She does not remember much about her past because she blocked it all out. There is MUCH MORE
that she has not told but I think it is best not to force her to tell!!
Jennifer
was VERY depressed because
of the life Jodi (sister) and Anthony (brother) had. She would think
of killing herself and what would be the best way to do it. She thought
of this A LOT. She thought of doing this not to tell anyone about
one of the infections she got and then just let it get so bad where NOTHING OR
NO ONE could do for it to get better.
Photo: Jennifer
on the swing And to make a LONG story short, finally Jodi and Jennifer came to live with Grammy and their Daddy. Jennifer & Jodi's brother couldn't come because there was not enough room in the apartment that they had. He went to a boys ranch, I think that he needed to be there and instead of with Grammy & there Dad, Jodi and Jennifer. The kids have made it through their life.
Photo: Jennifer by her beanbag chair A Note from Shirley: On May 18, 2005
Jennifer Kirk Deprizio died. She died from IGa Nephophthy and kidney
failure. Jenn had Recessive Dystrophic Epidemoloysis Bullosa,
subtype, Hallopeau Seimens. She also had IGA Nephopothy, but it was
in remission, and she wasn't a kidney transplant candidate because
of her immune system. They, DebRa and EBMRF, are working for a cure
- on the east coast and west coast (Stanford University) - but I was told
by a doctor "not in my time".
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EB Info World was Created on 11/20/1997 - Background Ribbon Graphic by Dominic
Gionfriddo
Copyright 2007 Sleeping Angel Creations & Services All Rights Reserved - Disclaimer |
The
Doctors did not know what this was until they had the Doctors come from
A.I. Dupont Institute for Children in Wilmington, Delaware. It took the
Doctors three days to diagnose her with Epidermolysis Bullosa, EB for
short.
She had to constantly watch her and change her bandages everyday. Joanne
had to grind her food because Jennifer could barely swallow food. Keep in
mind that this was before DebRA was founded, so there was no one to help
Joanne. 
Child
Protective Services, but they did not do a thing to the mother. They kept
the girls there, and went back to tell Shirley that they cant do anything
because there is no sign of abuse. But why would their Grandmother call
them if she did not think that they would be okay in the home with their
mother? The mother Joanne found out who called Childrens Protective
services on her, and from then on she didn'tt want the girls
Grandmother to find where they would be leaving. So, when their
Grandmother found them, Joanne would move and this went on for quite
awhile. A few years went on. 
Finally
they charged him with sexually abusing Jodi. So, he went to jail and
served 8 years of 20 that he was sentenced. He got out early because of
good time. Can you believe they would release a sexual abuser!!
Joanne said, well, he will not be getting out of jail so I have to go
find me another man that will treat my kids like crap!! She did not say
that but by her actions it sure did look like it!
better!! The kids where happy and so
was Joanne but when she meet Robbie she was a totally different person.
But there was something that would stop her from doing
this and that was she loved her brother and sister so much she had to be
there for them. She loved her sister Jodi very much. Jennifer saw what
Jodi had to go through and Jenn felt her sisters pain!! There is not much
to tell about her brother!! Because he was a mamas boy! He didnt get in
trouble EVERY day or got hit! Jodi and Anthony where very close too, and
still are. Jennifer was not that close to her brother. But there was this
one time that Jennifer does remember what her mother Joanne did to
Anthony. He got her so mad where she went and ripped the phone cord out of
the wall and stared to beat him with it!!
Hi there! It's me
Jennifer! I just want to say a few words. I enjoy life as best that EB
will allow. I have learned how do deal with EB and how to handle it with
other people. There are rude people out there and there are very sweet and
caring people. I have been told by many people mostly by my (GRAMMY) that
I am very UNIQUE:) I am also special. I am going for my goal in life and
that is go, have my own place and get my license etc...
