Jeannie Eberenz, music composition junior, was born one of three triplets. She is the only sister of the three born without severe cerebral palsy and brain damage.
Eberenz lost her sister, Laura Eberenz, when the girls were just infants and dealt with the passing of her other sister, Meleah Eberenz, just three days before the girls’ 19th birthday.
Eberenz said, while pregnant, her mother initially had two eggs. One split and created her sisters. Eberenz said she was the egg that remained intact.
“I always have the feeling of ‘What if?’” Eberenz said. “It was a one and three chance and I got lucky.”
Eberenz said she has never felt survivor’s guilt. Rather, she feels thankful for the time she had with her sisters and realizes their deaths were something out of her control.
“I look at it like I was given a chance,” Eberenz said. “It could have been me, and I am going to take what I’ve got and make the best of it.”
Eberenz said she uses the fact that her sisters never had the chance to carry out dreams and goals as her motivation.
“They didn’t have a chance to go to school or live a normal life, so I am trying to take full advantage of it,” she said.
Because of the severity of their cerebral palsy and brain damage, Eberenz said her sisters weren’t able to walk, talk or stand. The limitations of her sisters gave her a deeper respect and appreciation for the things many people take for granted.
“Getting in a car, driving, making breakfast— it’s stuff my sisters could never do, stuff they could never be taught to do,” Eberenz said. “I feel anything is an accomplishment because it was things they couldn’t do.”
To Eberenz, her mere state of being is an accomplishment because her doctors had initially told her parents she would be mentally challenged, as well.
“Just the fact that I’m 23, healthy and in college on the honor roll is an accomplishment,” she said.
Eberenz said she wouldn’t be the same person she is today if she hadn’t endured these hardships in her life and lost her sisters.
“I wouldn’t have the patience and be as strong as I am because I wouldn’t know what it’s like to face a challenge,” she said. “I dream of having my sisters around, but I think it has given me a better understanding of my family and what’s really important.”
One of Eberenz’s best friends, Leah Carby, elementary education sophomore, said it’s evident to her Eberenz embraces their friendship and invests herself in it.
“She really cares about our relationship,” Carby said. “I see it a lot more with her than with my other friends.”
Carby said Eberenz encourages her to value her family and the important things in life.
“I have a sister, and it makes me appreciate what I have so much more,” Carby said.
Eberenz said she strives to be a positive influence on people because her sisters didn’t have the choice to make right or wrong decisions. She said that fact is always in the back of her mind.
“Why make a right or wrong decision that can affect me in the long term when my sisters didn’t even have a chance at that?” Eberenz said.
Eberenz said she urges students to pursue what they love. Seeing her sisters’ limitations made her understand how precious life is and not to waste it.
“Do what you love and don’t look back,” Eberenz said. “I’m doing music because I love it, and it’s unique to me even though I’ll probably be a starving musician.”
Carby said she feels Eberenz truly does live her life to this standard.
“She lives with no regrets and tries to live life to the fullest,” Carby said.
When it comes to hardships, Eberenz said she urges people to remember what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.
She said she faces tragedy as a challenge that must be overcome.
“When there is a tragedy, another door opens,” Eberenz said. “You just have to look at what you have and be thankful.”
By ANNIE MALKA
Staff
amalka@umail.iu.edu