Mandy Gleissner

My grandpa. He also told us tattoos were for sailors, and then before he passed he told me I was a good sailor who swabbed the deck well. So I couldn't think of a better way to have a memory of him by getting a tattoo (ironic I know) and having the flowers he kept in his yard because I loved them so much. I am now part of a non-profit that helps all veterans and he was a reason I wanted to get involved. He always helped those around him that worked with him.

A piece of her heart is covered in Lily of the Valley - a flower that rises above it's leaves every year without fail. Mandy does the same as she has risen above all of the challenges and traumas in her life. From raising children to caring for her husband while he battled congestive heart failure, everyday she got up and showed how beautiful she made life for herself and those around her.

Honestly, $25,000 is an amount of money I never thought I would see at one time. Of course I would pay bills, maybe do a few things in my house and spoil my kiddos (who are grown). I would also do things just for me. Things I only dreamed I would be able to do - travel to see friends in other countries and in the US, mission trips with my church, having the hardware and software to make a successful business, and pay it forward in a bigger way than I could do at the moment.