Debra Handelsman

EDITOR'S NOTE: The following is from the March 2006 edition of the Heart to Heart newsletter

From Jerry Handelsman

Debra, my only child, so beautiful, kind, sweet and innocent, passed away suddenly in October, the result of cardiac failure.

She was 47 years old. But the word "old" doesn't really fit. She was that rare combination of childlike adult and "adult" adult with a big smile and big, brown eyes framed by a full head of premature, silver grey hair, full of love for life. Debra lived with me at home.

Her mother, Erika passed away in 1993.

Debra was born in 1958 before Williams Syndrome was even recognized. Erika and I soon realized that Debra was not progressing as expected but following preschool in a local church nursery school, Debra attended private schools and then West Los Angeles Community College for several years. She did well with her non-academic subjects, mostly music, and eventually graduated with an associate degree - a wonderful achievement!

Typical of people with Williams syndrome, Debra loved being with people, mostly adults. She connected with adults so well. Whenever we revisited a vacation place, we were always greeted with "Oh, we remember you guys" as they hugged Debra and ignored us.

Debra was confirmed in our New York synagogue in 1974 and recently she was considering taking a class leading to her Bat Mitzvah. I like to think that, somehow, she is now enjoying that special moment. Debra loved music in every form- from the cantor's chanting in synagogue, to opera, classical, choral and pop. We both enjoyed evenings at the Opera, Philharmonic and the Hollywood Bowl, and Debra enjoyed her large collection of opera videos and all kinds of CD's.

Debra was fortunate to connect with a group of people from school and local support organizations who remained close friends throughout the rest of her life. I still get phone calls from some of them asking how I'm doing; showing how much they miss her. That is so very sweet and comforting.

Debra was not diagnosed with Williams Syndrome until 1998, when she was 40 years old. I happened to read an article about WS in Scientific American magazine and then followed the trail from the WSA website, to the Salk Institute and finally, to Dr. Julie Korenberg at Cedars Sinai who made the diagnosis. But this late diagnosis really didn't adversely affect Debra's life.

To donate to the WSA in Debra's memory, click here