Ruby Cooper

After a year of him badgering me, I gave in. Parked on a dark country road in my mom's 1959 Dodge with a push-button transmission and a back seat as big as a double bed, I had sex with my boyfriend. He was happy. Me, not so much.

After a year of him badgering me, I gave in. Parked on a dark country road in my mom's 1959 Dodge with a push-button transmission and a back seat as big as a double bed, I had sex with my boyfriend. He was happy. Me, not so much.

After a year of him badgering me, I gave in. Parked on a dark country road in my mom's 1959 Dodge with a push-button transmission and a back seat as big as a double bed, I had sex with my boyfriend. He was happy. Me, not so much.

I wasn't going to do it again.

I wasn't going to do it again.

I wasn't going to do it again.

What I didn't know is that I had gotten pregnant. Yeah. With twins. It was 1960 and I was 16. Six and a half months later, I gave birth to two little boys. Only one survived, but he spent the next three months in a preemie bin struggling to live alone while I watched him through a murky plate glass window because they never allowed me to touch him.

What I didn't know is that I had gotten pregnant. Yeah. With twins. It was 1960 and I was 16. Six and a half months later, I gave birth to two little boys. Only one survived, but he spent the next three months in a preemie bin struggling to live alone while I watched him through a murky plate glass window because they never allowed me to touch him.

What I didn't know is that I had gotten pregnant. Yeah. With twins. It was 1960 and I was 16. Six and a half months later, I gave birth to two little boys. Only one survived, but he spent the next three months in a preemie bin struggling to live alone while I watched him through a murky plate glass window because they never allowed me to touch him.

When I finally got him out of there, I thought, I'm never going to let this kid get away from me again. A few months later, when he was 10 months old, through a routine visit with the pediatrician, he said, this kid has cerebral palsy. He'll never walk or probably won't talk. I don't know. You're young. You can have more children.

When I finally got him out of there, I thought, I'm never going to let this kid get away from me again. A few months later, when he was 10 months old, through a routine visit with the pediatrician, he said, this kid has cerebral palsy. He'll never walk or probably won't talk. I don't know. You're young. You can have more children.

When I finally got him out of there, I thought, I'm never going to let this kid get away from me again. A few months later, when he was 10 months old, through a routine visit with the pediatrician, he said, this kid has cerebral palsy. He'll never walk or probably won't talk. I don't know. You're young. You can have more children.

I'll give you the name of a place where you can take him where he'll be with others of his kind. And I was stunned. I said, his kind? I'm his mom. I'm his kind. He's going home with me. And... Kirk just grew. He was a beautiful, beautiful baby with these great big green, blue, just hazel kind of almond-shaped eyes and possibly long eyelashes and a big smile. And he grew into this gregarious...

I'll give you the name of a place where you can take him where he'll be with others of his kind. And I was stunned. I said, his kind? I'm his mom. I'm his kind. He's going home with me. And... Kirk just grew. He was a beautiful, beautiful baby with these great big green, blue, just hazel kind of almond-shaped eyes and possibly long eyelashes and a big smile. And he grew into this gregarious...

I'll give you the name of a place where you can take him where he'll be with others of his kind. And I was stunned. I said, his kind? I'm his mom. I'm his kind. He's going home with me. And... Kirk just grew. He was a beautiful, beautiful baby with these great big green, blue, just hazel kind of almond-shaped eyes and possibly long eyelashes and a big smile. And he grew into this gregarious...

confident kid that just just everybody was attracted to on our on his first day of school I think he was seven years old and I it was in a little wheelchair and I pushed him down the hallway and he goes hi I Kirk hi I Kirk like he was running for office And he'd lost his first tooth.

confident kid that just just everybody was attracted to on our on his first day of school I think he was seven years old and I it was in a little wheelchair and I pushed him down the hallway and he goes hi I Kirk hi I Kirk like he was running for office And he'd lost his first tooth.

confident kid that just just everybody was attracted to on our on his first day of school I think he was seven years old and I it was in a little wheelchair and I pushed him down the hallway and he goes hi I Kirk hi I Kirk like he was running for office And he'd lost his first tooth.

And I said, oh, what will happen is that the ferry will, we'll put the tooth under the pillow and a ferry will come at night and exchange it for money. And he looked at me like I was crazy. And he said, no, mine bring pie. Pie? The Tooth Fairy doesn't have pie. The Tooth Fairy has money. He said, mine bring pie. And I said, what kind of pie? And he said, chocolate.

And I said, oh, what will happen is that the ferry will, we'll put the tooth under the pillow and a ferry will come at night and exchange it for money. And he looked at me like I was crazy. And he said, no, mine bring pie. Pie? The Tooth Fairy doesn't have pie. The Tooth Fairy has money. He said, mine bring pie. And I said, what kind of pie? And he said, chocolate.