A Story That Had to Be Told: the Challenges and Triumphs of an Extraordinary Chicago Woman

Celebrate the strength and beauty of life in this extraordinary story about a woman who faced insurmountable odds and achieved the unthinkable. The daughter of German immigrants, Andrea Schenk was born in 1934 and lived with her family in Depression-era Chicago, attending school and enjoying her simple childhood. She married Don in 1954 and settled into life, living on the first floor of his parents' house. Andrea had five children and one stillborn within her first seven years of marriage, and although she was physically and mentally exhausted, she was happy. On a pleasant summer day in 1965, tragedy struck. Andrea's four-year-old cousin was accidentally run over by an ice cream truck and lay dying in the alley as Andrea knelt beside him. Before long, Andrea's mind began to separate from reality, and within a few days she found herself in a psychiatric hospital. After nearly a decade of struggle and a second breakdown, Andrea finally found out what was wrong, and when she did, her life began to change. Through it all, Andrea never lost hope. She went on to study psychology to learn about her illness, earned both a bachelor's degree and master's degree, started a career helping senior citizens, all after the age of forty-five. Join Andrea on her amazing journey and witness the incredible strength of the human spirit!