Agoura Hills family triumphs at graduation following long struggle

THE GRADUATES-The Krajeski daughters, from left to right, are Kate, Courtney, Emily and AlexisHis twin daughters were born premature and spent almost four months in intensive care, one of the girls losing the tips of her fingers and toes due to complications. His first wife died of cancer. He's traveled a rough road in life, but his girls' recent college graduation was a moment of triumph.

Agoura Hills resident Paul Krajeski said he tries to live life one day at a time. Today he's extremely proud of his four daughters. He gives credit to his community and the local schools. His friends give credit to him and his wife.

Krajeski's family has "faced a lot of adversity throughout life and (they) are an inspiration," said friend Steve Hessick. Hessick said Krajeski has been an unbelievable father.

Krajeski's twins, Kate and Emily-now both 23 years old- are Nos. 2 and 3 in the pecking order. Alexis is the oldest daughter, Courtney is the youngest.

Kate and Emily were premature infants. They weighed about a pound and a half and were only a foot long at birth.

"A lot of things had not been developed, including even their skin," Krajeski said. "During those four months in intensive care, it was a cycle of anxiety."

Krajeski wondered if the twins would even survive. After being convinced that they would live, he and the girls' mother had to deal with complications from their early birth. Kate, the older of the two by a couple of minutes, lost the tips of her fingers on her left hand and the tips of her toes on her right foot.

"We were sorry to see that happen, but the alternative was that she would lose her whole arm or that she would die," Krajeski said.

On May 20, Kate and Emily graduated from Simmons College in Boston, Mass. with master's degrees in education. Krajeski said that when he tells people his twins received their master's degrees, he gets chills up and down his spine

"Doctors had told us that (Kate and Emily) would survive, but that they had severe brain injury and that one of them would never make it beyond some infant age-I forget the exact age-and that the other one would be severely handicapped from a mental standpoint," Krajeski said.

Krajeski and his family lived in New Jersey when Kate and Emily were born. When the twins were 2 years old, Krajeski packed up the family and moved to California to follow his career in insurance. Luckily for Krajeski, his wife, Fran, who worked at Johnson and Johnson, was able to transfer to a job in the area.

"Just a few years after being here, Fran was diagnosed with cancer," Krajeski said. "She died when Kate and Emily were just 5 years old."

Their youngest sister, Courtney, was only 4 and Alexis was 9. "My wife's death added to some understandable difficulties in raising a family."

But the Krajeski family, like the twins, survived. Krajeski gives much credit to the community for its support.

"Agoura Hills is a great place to live," Krajeski said. "Our neighbors as well as our church (United Methodist Church of Westlake Village) were wonderfully supportive."

Members of the church took care of Krajeski's kids when he couldn't do it himself. Neighbors would step up to the plate and watch over the children when they needed to be watched.

"I get emotional when I start to recall all this," Krajeski said. "Our dentist at the time-his staff volunteered to take care of our kids one day. A clerk at the grocery store constantly inquired about our family."

Krajeski also gives much appreciation to the Las Virgenes Unified School District for the success of his daughters and for the schools' support and help during tough times. The Krajeski girls all went to Sumac Elementary School, A.E. Wright Middle School and Agoura High School, and all four of them have graduated from college.

One of the twins had issues in school though, according to Krajeski. "The teachers at Sumac saw a problem being created and brought it to our attention," he said. "With the help of counselors, we got Kate the necessary attention she needed. My brother-in-law, who's a psychologist in Massachusetts- when I told him the issue-was duly impressed with Las Virgenes School District and Sumac Elementary that they did what they did."

And of course, a tight bond is always an important ingredient in a successful family.

"I really think that it was the fact that we had a strong, stable family connection," Krajeski said. Krajeski included his housekeeper and the woman's child as part of the family. They were both very supportive and helpful during tough times. Krajeski returned the gesture when he lined up an attorney to get his housekeeper citizenship in this country, he said.

Krajeski's wife, Patricia, has been very supportive as well.

"They were 9, 5, 5 and 4 when we met," she said, "and they were 10, 12, 12 and 17 when we married.

"I came into their lives just as Courtney was going to preschool. I don't eliminate the kismet in it at all...one day, Courtney put her tiny little hand in my hand when we were crossing the street and it was like a thunderbolt, that feeling. I felt, that's why I'm here."

Patricia came to call Kate "Love" and Emily "Dove." She'd often help the girls with their homework, she said. Patricia had taught English, Spanish and history.

"Sometimes it was chaos" around the house due to the busy lives of four girls, Patricia said, "but this May 20 was the first time they ever had a serious scheduling conflict--they all were graduating. It was Courtney's first graduation, so they all went to hers."

Courtney earned a bachelor's degree in hospitality from Endicott College in Beverly, Mass. Alexis graduated from Columbia University in 2000 and in 2004 received a master's degree from the London School of Economics.

Kate and Emily plan to teach in Boston for a couple of years for the experience. They hope to come back to California to continue their careers in education, Krajeski said.