vickroy
Donna Vickroy biography
Donna Vickroy was born on Chicago’s South Side and spent most of her formative years in the south suburbs, sharing a small bungalow with …
Read More-
Vickroy: College grads swimming in debt
Student debt is the talk of the nation, especially with interest rates on federally subsidized Stafford Loans set to double on July 1, from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent. As Congress struggles to address the issue — a Senate bill to prevent the rate increase …Read More
-
Vickroy: Measure of a great dad: love, respect, support and the occasional act of heroism
Long before he became her hero, flying out to the desert, renting a car and picking her up at a small-town hospital after she’d suffered a serious injury, Kevin McCaffrey was his daughter Caitlin McCaffrey’s, well, hero. “He’s always been my hero,” Caitlin said. “He’s …Read More
-
Vickroy: Competing for 45 years, she’s still bringing home the gold
What makes Mary Pat Bekta special? Well, we could start with the 100-plus medals she’s won in Special Olympics events, in which she’s been competing since the Games began in 1968. Or we could talk about her compassion and love for just about everyone. When …Read More
Search recent columns
More Columns
Vickroy: Girl’s garden blooms on, 20 years after her death
It’s love that keeps Nicole’s Garden blooming after all these years. Nicole Abramite was just 8 years old when she succumbed to Prader-Willi syndrome in the fall of 1992. As her family and friends struggled to deal with the loss, someone at Fierke Education Center …
Vickroy: Cyclists, drivers must take the high road
Can’t we all just move along? Safely. It’s time for motorists and cyclists to come to terms. State law recognizes the rights of both to use roadways in Illinois. That means cyclists have as much right as drivers to traverse Harlem Avenue in Tinley Park, …
Vickroy: Split-second decision and life is thrown off course
In May 2010, Tiffani Ntanos had a plan. Among the first teens to graduate from the newly opened Lincoln-Way North High School, she would work for a few years, put away some money and then enroll in a cosmetology school in Chicago. The plan meant …
Vickroy: Students learn that music is message
For what it’s worth, only a fortunate son could fight the power on the eve of destruction. No, you don’t have to be a Baby Boomer to know what that means. Music has long been a messenger of sentiment — giving issues such as racism, …
Vickroy: 10-year-old a profile of courage, hope
Adam Sanchez is a builder. Houses, bridges, whole cities. Lately, though, the 10-year-old fan of Legos and the game Minecraft has become an architect of resilience. The son of a Chicago police officer, Adam was diagnosed with brain cancer the day before Thanksgiving. He has …
Vickroy: Guiding knight: Lab gets woman where she needs to go
Up concrete stairs, around giant flowerpots and through throngs of bustling commuters, Kathy Austin makes her way to work each morning. Though she is virtually blind, only able to distinguish contrasts of light and dark, she makes getting from her home in the leafy suburb …
Vickroy: Gardens are proof that life goes on
“God gave us memories that we may have roses in December.” J. M. Barrie Since the beginning of time, man has sought comfort in tilling the earth. Gardens provide sustenance, joy and, increasingly, solace in times of grief. Flowers, trees and other plants are reminders …
Vickroy: Modern-day explorers to kids: Get out in wilderness
Khareah Horton stepped into the giant oversized parka and all but disappeared. The first-grader took one for the team when she volunteered to lead the “sled dogs” across the gymnasium at Wagoner School in Sauk Village. Not only was she barely visible beneath her fur-lined …
Vickroy: Mother’s reading habit led to son’s penchant for writing
Mothers impart a lot of things to their children: wisdom, advice, recipes. But sometimes the most endearing gift a mother leaves her son or daughter is a lifelong passion, something that sparks their interest, taps their creativity and engages them in the workings of the …
Vickroy: Pennies from an angel to help special-needs dancers
At face value, the penny is worth next to nothing. But for those who believe in the power of serendipity, the penny can be priceless. As her sister, Linda, lay dying in 2000, Cathy Epstein-Faxel and her mother wondered how they might honor the 29-year-old’s …
Vickroy: It’s no fib: You can grow figs in this climate
Long before humans cultivated wheat, barley or legumes, they grew fig trees. Some even suggest that figs were grown a thousand years before wheat and rye were domesticated. “For 98 percent of the time humans have been alive, it has been a starvation existence,” said …
Vickroy: Remembering Kaylah with music, poetry and new safety measures
A year ago this weekend, Kaylah Lentine was celebrating her 14th birthday at a sleepover party with friends. They sang, laughed and made a video parody of “The Hunger Games.” In a bittersweet nod to life’s unpredictability, those same friends, along with members of Kaylah’s …
Vickroy: Get closer view of eagles’ new offspring
It’s not exactly a bird’s-eye view, but the public can now get even closer to a rare eagles’ nest in Palos Township. Cook County Forest Preserve officials have cleared a path north along the eastern banks of Tampier Slough, enabling bird watchers to get within …
Vickroy: Tireless teen earns Governor’s Volunteer Award
They’re small, soft and oh, so cute. Yet, these tiny pillows are strong enough to comfort the afflicted, cheer the saddened and remind even the most downtrodden that somebody cares. “You can see it in the smiles people give,” says Sarah Dynia. “You can definitely …
Vickroy: Students take live surgery experience to heart
Alex Engraffia knows there’s only so much you can do in a classroom. Sometimes, to really learn something, you have to go out into the field. And sometimes that field is a hospital operating room. The Evergreen Park High School senior joined more than 100 …
Vickroy: Former Palos Hills man was courageous first responder
“A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” Christopher Reeve Before he became a first responder, Kevin Sanders was an altar boy, a baby sitter and an animal lover. “He was a joy to …
Vickroy: Teacher shares heartbreaking story to keep prom-goers safe
It is a human flaw that until we are touched by tragedy, we consider ourselves immune to it. Like so many, Cora Umeker grew up believing teenagers are invincible. That is, until her senior year of high school. The reality that kids are not wrapped …
