I have been truly blessed to have three women in my life that I call mother. Women who I go to for guidance, love, support, friendship, and faith: my mom, my stepmom, and my mother-in-law. Many might think that it is unfair that I have THREE amazing women in my life, but what they don’t know is that each one brings something different into my life – so the thought of losing one is unbearable.

Courage, perseverance, and unwavering love are just three attributes that define my stepmom, Jerri Grobe. She was diagnosed five years ago with stage 3 ovarian cancer. She fought through surgery and chemotherapy and went into a brief remission, but that was very short-lived. She soon began her treatment again and has since gone through dozens of different therapies trying to find the perfect fit to fight her cancer. To date we are still battling.

This alone is enough for anyone, but let me tell you more about this remarkable woman. At the age of 26 she fought breast cancer and had a mastectomy. In her early thirties she had her thyroid removed, but the doctor made a grave error and sliced her vocal cords leaving her with literally a whisper of a voice. Since malpractice insurance was not mandatory at the time, she received NOTHING for her pain and suffering. In her mid-thirties she lost her youngest sister (who was pregnant) when a tornado struck our campsite, and almost one year prior to her ovarian diagnosis she lost her youngest daughter (my little stepsister) in a tragic boating accident. Most people would just throw in the towel by the time they got to the ovarian cancer, but not Jerri! She has faced this disease head-on. She is not finished on Earth, yet. She has watched my husband and I battle infertility for over 8 years, and we finally got to introduce her to her two new identical twin grandsons.

I wish that this were Lindsay writing this story for her mother, that’s the way it should be; but it is not the way life turned out. I get the pleasure of telling her story; I am the one who will carry on her love to her grandchildren and their children. I will get to hold her hand as she continues to fight this battle, and I will get to tell everyone what a brave woman she was. We don’t understand life or the turns it takes, but what I have learned from her is to embrace every second of what you are given because you do not know what is around the corner – it could be the most devastating news that a mother could hear or the most amazing miracles that are placed in your lap. Whichever it is I hope and pray I have her strength to accept each path that God gives me to take.