What job consists of long hours, no pay and no time off? This job also has many different jobs rolled into one - cook, nurse, teacher, referee and housekeeper. To many it is the most important job a woman can have. This job is being a full-time stay at home mother.

Nilda E. Salgado is a 59-year-old Spanish speaking Puerto Rican woman with diabetes. She was born non-disabled in Canovanas, Puerto Rico. Around the age of 10, Nilda developed polio that affected her left side. Miraculously, Nilda recovered completely from the effects of polio. At 27 Nilda got married. In the years following her wedding Nilda worked in a belt factory. After the birth of her second child, Nilda decided to stay at home and raise her daughters. A few years later Nilda gave birth to two more children, both sons.

About 10 years ago Nilda began to feel ill. She later found out she inherited the disease that ran in her family - diabetes. Diabetes did not take over Nilda's life. She continued to be the strong mother her four children needed her to be. Just about the same time she found out about her diabetes, Nilda took on another role, that of grandmother. Nilda continues to help raise her three grandsons ages 9, 4, and 3 and soon will be doing the same for her next grandchild to be. Nilda's strength, determination, and faith are the qualities her family and friends admire about her. Due to these qualities, Nilda has been able to help her children succeed in life. One daughter is a social worker and the other a junior high school teacher. Her oldest son is studying to be a computer office specialist and her youngest son will be graduating from high school and will be entering college in the fall.