Donna Ducker: Making Her Mark

By: Hannah Storm
Topics: Women Who Inspire Me

One in 10 children in this country is born with a birthmark and, as you may know, I have a prominent port-wine stain under my left eye that I cover with makeup. I know what it's like to grow up with people staring at your face and making insensitive comments.

This can also be really painful for any mother whose child suffers from the same treatment. Donna Ducker took charge when her son Evan wanted to write a book to help other kids understand his birthmark. Donna spent her life savings and devoted all of her time to making his dream come true.

Find out more about what drives Donna.

(CBS)
The most important thing to me has always been to be a good mother. When my only son was born with a facial port-wine stain, the doctors said the best thing I could give him was self-confidence. So, after years of telling him he could do and be whatever he wanted, he declared he wanted to create a book to help other kids with birthmarks. (Out of the mouths of babes!)

My brain was saying, "Sorry, honey, Mommy can't do that because she doesn't know how!" But my mouth was saying, "We can do that."

So, at the unlikely age of 40, with absolutely no knowledge or experience in publishing, I became a children's book author of Buddy Booby's Birthmark, president of my own publishing corporation (E & D Books, Ltd.), and a "spokesmom" of sorts for the parents of children with vascular birthmarks.

The lesson I learned? Life can be a wild ride if you're willing to pay the price of a ticket ... and get on! — Donna Ducker