HomeFeaturesMoms › Minute with Mom from Brenda Warner
 
 
 

alt

Author. Philanthropist. Motivational speaker. Former nurse and Marine. Brenda Warner wears many hats. The wife of former NFL football player Kurt Warner, Brenda has had an exceptional life filled with challenges and successes. But despite the many titles, there are two that are the most important to her: wife and mother. Before Brenda married Kurt, she was married to a fellow Marine she met in boot camp. The couple had two children, Zack and Jesse. One day, she received a call from her husband saying there was something wrong with Zack. He eventually admitted he had dropped the baby, which had done serious damage and left him blind. The couple later divorced, leaving Brenda with little money and resources to take care of her children, one now in need of constant care. “In my life, I went from being a Marine, living with honor, courage and integrity, to being in line with food stamps, still living with honor, courage and integrity—same person—but with food stamps,” Brenda said in an interview with the 700 Club. Brenda soon met Kurt and the couple married in 1997. They went on to have five children together. Although her life changed dramatically after marrying her husband, she continues to be motivated and inspired by the challenges she has faced in life, including being the mother of a special needs child, while juggling a full household.

Brenda shares her experiences and advice on life in a blended family:

On her journey from single mom to blended family:

“When I met Kurt, I had two children and I was on food stamps and lived in low-income housing. And so to come to this point, years later, is amazing. In fact, we just celebrated our 15-year anniversary. Kurt adopted Jesse and Zack, and we went on to have five more children.”

On Kurt adopting her children:

“He loved my kids before he loved me and

I knew then that I had the right one.”

On handling a blended family:

“There are still moments when I think to myself,

“How did we do it?” But you can’t overanalyze it. You

just do it and you don’t back away, no matter what.”

Brenda’s advice to parents of blended families:

“Don’t back down, don’t give up. You just

stick with it. It’s too easy to walk away. Just

stay with it, because it’s worth the fight.”