Memoirs of a former Playboy centerfold

This story of the power of God's grace, is worth sharing
...(from PTM newsletter:)

Susie Scott Krabacher shares her wild ride from an abusive childhood to the Playboy Mansion -- from a life in disarray to one of faith, love and charity.

Susie Scott Krabacher with Vicki, a resident at one of her facilities for children in Haiti.

ASPEN, CO (ANS) -- Drawing on her own pain and experiences - the beatings from her mother, the sexual abuse from her grandfather, the denial of her father about everything going on, a centerfold spread in Playboy magazine, eerie encounters at the Playboy Mansion, the suicide of her brother -- Susie Scott Krabacher's book Angels of a Lower Flight: One Woman's Mission To Save A Country. One Child At A Time weaves a story that culminates with her resolve to never let any other child suffer the way she did.

The children she has chosen to help are the sick and orphaned in Haiti. With passion and an eye for detail, Krabacher describes what drove her to Haiti as well as what she has accomplished during her many visits to this impoverished country that the United Nations has termed "the worst slum on the planet."

There she encountered extreme poverty like she'd never seen before, as well as countless abandoned children, deadly gangs roaming the streets, a government oozing with corruption, and filth and despair at every turn. Her passion and desire to help these forgotten children led to the creation of the Mercy and Sharing Foundation, a non-profit organization which she runs with her husband Joe Krabacher, an Aspen attorney and real estate developer. The foundation is dedicated to providing a safe haven for abandoned, malnourished, and impoverished children in Haiti. Under Krabacher's direction, Mercy and Sharing now runs three schools, two orphanages, feeding centers, a hospital and an abandoned baby facility in Haiti. Krabacher's compassion knows no boundaries. She has held dying orphans so that they didn't pass away alone, and she has searched the morgue in order to give a proper burial to those she tried to save while they were hospitalized.

Prior to her current work, Krabacher worked extensively as a model and actress, appearing as the centerfold in Playboy magazine as Miss May 1983. She credits her renewed Christian faith and the purpose she found in caring for the world's poor as the factors that led to her life's transformation.

"To enter into suffering is why I was placed on earth," she writes. "From the time I was four until the moment I set foot in Haiti, I wondered what assignment God had in mind for me. Although my life's calling in Haiti is difficult, I hope I never run from it. To care for others is what I was created to do. My ability to care came from my own struggles."

In 2006, Krabacher was honored by World of Children, Inc., an international children's advocacy group dedicated to honoring exceptional child advocates from around the world. In 2004, she was granted The Humanitarian Rose Award, presented by The People's Princess Charitable Foundation, Inc., which was established to further Diana's commitment to help the needy. In addition, she has received the International Humanitarian Award from the National Association for the Advancement of Haitians, the National Achievement Award from E-Town Radio, the Citizen Cool Award from the Ben & Jerry's Corporation, and the Gift of Life Award from Rotary International. She is a member of the Miami Children's Hospital Hall of Fame, and has been awarded honorary citizenship in Haiti. Krabacher spends nearly every waking hour working for the children of Haiti, either fundraising in the United States, or providing hands-on help in Haiti for the 3,300 children in the care of Mercy and Sharing.

Susie with children in a Haitian village.

Krabacher's book, Angels of a Lower Flight, takes readers inside the turmoil and eventual triumph of Krabacher's life -- everything she has been through, from childhood to the present, including the coup overthrowing Haiti's dictator Aristide. Not for the faint of heart, her memoir is a wake-up call to all Americans about what's going on just a few hundred miles from our shores, in addition to what still goes on in abusive homes right here in the United States. By sharing her story, Krabacher hopes to save children from misery, wherever they may be.

Cassie Nelson and Lori Ames
Assist News Service