Behind the scenes
My name is Debbie Binko, and I had the honor of being Lizzy's home school instructor for about 1 year until her untimely death on December 29, 2006. Lizzy was probably the most incredible young lady I have ever met. She was beautiful, intelligent, funny, outgoing, and probably my favorite trait of hers was her brutal honesty whenever she communicated with anyone!!
I initially got to know Lizzy by home schooling her several hours a week. Due to her heart condition, which is just one of the many secondary ailments to affect Friedreich's patients, she was unable to attend school with her friends. It didn't take long for our relationship to grow from a teacher/student to a friend/best friend. I was very lucky to have been able to get to know Lizzy better by taking her out to various events in the area as well as to lunch and shopping, and we loved just spending time with each other talking openly about everything. She truly became like a daughter to me, and I will always remember and cherish each and every moment we shared together.
Lizzy and I had been planning together our initial fundraiser for Friedreich's Ataxia Research. Her face used to light up every time we would talk about the fundraiser and how she would be the "star" of the day. When I asked her what she wanted to name the fundraiser her response was, "Lizzy's One Wish". I kidded her that I thought her one wish was to meet Tupac or DMX, her 2 favorite rap stars, but she responded with, "No, my one wish is to find a cure for Friedreich's Ataxia".
As heartbreaking as it is for me to face the fact that we will no longer be able to spend those special moments together, I know in my heart that Lizzy is in a better place where she is free from all pain and suffering. And I have a special angel watching over me. What more could anyone ask for?