Debra Kerper, a double amputee, has turned her personal challenges into a thriving home-based business with Cruise Planners, helping people of all abilities travel the world.

In her early 20s, Debra was diagnosed with lupus, an autoimmune disease. A few years later, she developed a serious infection that led to the amputation of her right leg, and eventually, her left leg. Despite these physical limitations, Debra, a young mother at the time, refused to let her circumstances define her.

Searching for a purpose, Debra found an unlikely calling as a travel advisor. An avid traveler herself, she wanted to leverage her experiences to help people with disabilities see the world. Today, driven by that mission, Debra has grown her travel advisor business to nearly two million dollars in annual sales, all from her home.

Cruise Planners, the nation’s largest home-based travel franchise company, provided Debra with the flexibility she needed. The home-based model allows Debra to work when and how she wants, which is crucial given her health complications. “If I need to go to a doctor’s appointment, or if I want to work just part-time, I can do that,” Debra says.

In addition to flexibility, Cruise Planners provides Debra with robust resources and support to grow her business, including comprehensive marketing, industry-leading technology, a personal business development coach, and ongoing training. “Cruise Planners provides so much to help you be successful,” Debra says. “My business has truly exploded.”

While Debra appreciates the financial success she has earned, she continues to be driven by her original mission to help others with disabilities travel the world. “I believe travel needs to be accessible to everyone,” she says. “Just because someone doesn’t have the use of their legs or their sight or their hearing doesn’t mean they don’t have the same wants and desires as everybody else.”

When Debra reflects on all the challenges she has overcome in her life, she sometimes wonders how she got to where she is. “I look in the mirror sometimes, and I can’t believe this is my life,” she says. “I have been to so many places, and I get to do all these great things with wonderful people, and I have the support of Cruise Planners that has changed my life both personally and financially.”