My mother’s story began 4 ½ years ago. On a work trip to Nashville, she found herself unable to wake up to catch her flight home. She was rushed to a local hospital, where she was diagnosed with an 8 centimeter brain tumor. Two of her sisters and I flew down there the next day. My mother was flown home to have her surgery at Henry Ford West Bloomfield. Upon waking up from surgery, her first words were “Never opt for the brain surgery.” Originally, it was thought that her tumor was not malignant, but upon post-operative testing it was determined to be cancerous. She underwent chemotherapy and radiation, and still receives regular MRIs. Thankfully, there seems to be no sign of the cancer returning to this date. Although the diagnosis in Nashville was not optimal, I am eternally grateful for fate’s hand in the matter. As I was a 17 year old high school student, I was in classes all day and worked that evening. At the rate her brain was swelling, I would have come home to find my mother dead. It is comforting to see the strange ways in which God works. My mother’s perseverance and strength throughout her battle with this disease are something that have touched myself and many others deeply. I know I speak for us all when I say we are proud to call you one of us, Mom. As she has always told me, “you come from a long line of strong women,” and she is one of them. My thanks extends to my mother’s family, especially her sisters, and the doctors at Henry Ford. She would not be here today if it were not for your care.