Geraldine Ferraro's arrival in this world began as a mixed blessing. Dominic and Antonetta Ferraro were grieving the loss of their son, Gerard, after he died in a car accident, so their doctor advised them to have another child. Geraldine, aka "Gerry," was born in 1935, in Newburgh, New York. In 1943, Ferraro's father died of a heart attack. The young woman's mother went against family tradition and sent her daughter to college, despite her friends' insistence that Ferraro was pretty enough to get married. In 1952, Ferraro enrolled in Marymount College in Queens, New York, which was close to home. After graduating with a degree in English, she taught elementary school and began going to law school at night. She also met John Zacarro, who became her husband in May 1960, the same month she received her law degree. Ferraro gave birth to their first child, Donna, in 1962; John Jr. and Laura soon followed. Ferraro and Zacarro made a compromise: She would raise the children until they were in school full-time and he would later support her in any career she wanted.

Thirteen years later, in 1974, 39-year-old Geraldine Ferraro began working in the county's child sex abuse homicide division, where she created the Special Victims Bureau. She later left because she felt she wasn't tough enough for the job, and she opted to run for Congress instead. Ferraro won her first election in 1978, becoming the first woman ever to represent her district. In her new role, she focused much of her attention on the issues of wage, pension and retirement account equity for women. The neophyte politician's talents and charisma put her on the fast track. On July 10, 1984, Democratic presidential hopeful Walter Mondale named her as his choice for a running mate, making her the first woman to run for vice president. Thousands of women came to hear Ferraro speak on the campaign trail, but the outpouring of good will was short-lived. The rival Reagan campaign went after Ferraro's husband, suggesting that the Italian-American real estate developer had links to the Mob. Mondale and Ferraro eventually lost 49 of the 50 states, the largest defeat in presidential-election history.

In 1992, Ferraro tried for a comeback by running for Senate. She lost the Democratic primary in a bitter contest, as she did when she tried for office again in 1998. Little did Ferraro know that her biggest battle was yet to come. Having noted that she was often fatigued during her second campaign, the political dynamo consulted a doctor. She was diagnosed with a rare form of blood cancer. Ferraro has undergone experimental treatment and has been fighting the disease for the past three years. She now spends her time testifying before Congress, soliciting funds for cancer research and continuing her fight to promote equality for women. This real-life hero reflects: "I?m hoping that if people look at my life after I?m gone, [they?ll] say, ?She did make a difference for women in this country.'"