Our mother would work up to five jobs at one time in order to support her three boys that she was raising as a single mother. My brothers and I would not realize until we grew older the sacrifices that our mother made in order to provide for us, nor would we show her the appreciation that she deserved until it was too late. In 1998 while driving through Marshall Texas on State Hwy 59, attempting to deliver a load in Houston, my mom hit five cows while traveling at what was estimated by State Troopers as approximately 70 MPH. The collision caused horrific damage to the truck and trailer and caused it to flip over. I remember receiving a telephone call from her early in the morning and she told me that she was in the emergency room but that she would be fine. She later told me that she did not want me to panic and insisted that she be the one to call me and not the State Troopers. Little did we know at the time that the crash would cause tumors to form in her right breast from the impact. These tumors were later removed and were discovered to be malignant. She was diagnosed with stage five breast cancer and was given very little to no chance of survival. After receiving as many cancer treatments as her body could handle, I had come to the realization that my mother was not going to live much longer and was preparing myself for the worst. She refused any further treatment and had decided that she was through fighting and I told her that I did not want to watch her suffer any longer, that it was ok to give up. Miraculously, on her next doctor visit it was discovered that the cancer was completely gone and she has since been in remission. Even after all that has happened to her she has been unable to stay away from trucking and I’m proud to say that she is still driving a truck to this day and loving every minute of it. I would like for my mom to know that her boys love her and appreciate everything that she has done for us, and I feel that winning this contest would complete her 30year career as a truck driver.
