At first glance, life appears easy for Cindy Van Orden.

She owns a successful business in Iowa City and she has the love and support of her family and countless friends.

But look closer and you see another side to her life.

You see a life of pain and suffering, of helplessness and addiction.

You see a life marred by divorce and premature death.

What you don't see, though, is a quitter.

Van Orden, 53, wouldn't allow herself to do that.

"I had like 13 years of very difficult times," Van Orden said. "It started with my brother falling off a mountain in an avalanche (19 years ago) and he died.

"Going through a divorce. My mom died, my daughter died. I went through a second divorce."

It was after her second divorce nearly a decade ago that Van Orden launched her business, Provider Resource Inc., which handles the billing for the anesthesiologists at Mercy Hospital.

But it also was nearly a decade ago that Van Orden's daughter, Chelsy, died from a heroin overdose at the age of 21.

"Her addiction to heroin made me very strong," Van Orden said. "I know that she is not suffering. She's with me every day."

Van Orden has fought her own battle with alcoholism. She is proud to say she hasn't had a drink in 30 years.

"Today, I choose not to drink, and I'm very happy not drinking," she said. "The desire has been removed totally, that I know I do not ever want to pick up the first one.

"I have a healthy understanding of that."

Van Orden said there was a time when she felt sorry for herself and asked, "Why me?"

"But I've learned not to do that anymore because, why not me," she said.

She also has learned to live each day to the fullest. Her family, which includes a daughter, a son and four stepchildren, keeps her busy, as does raising two dogs.

She also is on the board of directors for a privately owned manufacturing company based in Minnesota that turns old tires into shingles.

"I'm not usually unhappy one day," Van Orden said. "I'm very motivated and very excited about life.

"There's not much that gets me down today."

Van Orden said she feels fortunate to have a strong

supporting cast at work and at home.

"My life has changed dramatically and it's been not easy, but yet, I've been given all the tools to get through each day with whatever comes my way," she said.

- Pat Harty