Working with families in times of crisis, TJC has witnessed the extraordinary love of mothers. We have seen women struggling to care for families that include critically ill children, and do so with grace and humor. We heard women whose children have died bravely testify so that other mothers will be spared such grief. We have stood with parents who persistently advocate for not only their own children, but all children in need of health care. We have a deep respect for each of these women and the difference they are making in the world.
Every Mother’s Day we honor the Tennessee Justice Center Mothers of the Year. We choose as many as six women per year who, in the midst of their own family’s medical crisis, speak out to help other families. Our staff recruits volunteer photographers, and then provides our honorees with framed “Mother of the Year” certificates and framed family photos.
“The responses from the women TJC honors have been overwhelming. When I called my client, a single mother who was working full-time while finishing high school, and told her she had been selected, she cried for 20 minutes,” says Kate Crosby, a former paralegal at TJC. “For many of our clients, this is first time in their lives that anyone told them that they are leaders, examples, heroes.”
Diane
A mother’s greatest joy is her children; this is especially true for Diane. Diane and her husband Frank are the parents of Rebekah and two other children, all special needs adoptions. Their daughter Rebekah, 17, is a miracle child. Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy and mental retardation, she is fed by a tube and requires constant care from her parents and a nurse. Despite her special needs and because of her mother’s devoted love, Rebekah is a vibrant young lady, who enjoys music and being around people. <Read their full story>
Hope
Hope and her family fled New Orleans in 2005 to escape Hurricane Katrina. Settling in Memphis, she soon faced another storm in her life as she began the long and complicated process of finding care for her son Justin, 18, who suffers from severe mental retardation, Cerebral Palsy and seizures. <Read their full story>
Sadiatou
Binta, like her ancestor Kunta Kinte of Roots fame, has overcome many obstacles in her life. Now she and her mother, Sadiatou, are facing their greatest battle as they struggle to get care for Binta, who has special health care needs. <Read their full story>
Linda
Linda and her husband Walter have welcomed more than 25 special needs foster children into their home over the years. They adopted four of the children. Linda, who is a trained nurse, dedicated herself to making these children’s lives as meaningful and fulfilling as they could be, but she experienced repeated denials by the state in obtaining needed services and equipment necessary to care for her children, services and equipment that they had the right to receive by federal law. <Read their full story>
Laura
Laura's stepson, 11 year-old Ashton, lost his birth mother to a blood disorder. When Laura was diagnosed with cancer, she feared that the child might lose two mothers to disease.
Since losing her TennCare, Laura cannot get the regular checkups she needs to stay healthy and cancer-free. Laura does what she can to stay strong for Ashton and the rest of the family, but she must live with the daily uncertainty of how she will cope with the threat of cancer and continue rasing her young stepson.
Laura is one of the 170,000 who were cut from TennCare. Faced with cancer and little information on how to access services, she found TJC. Advocates helped Laura navigate the limited safety net services available to her. Advocates were struck by the fact that despite her own poor health, Laura remained concerned, first and foremost, about the welfare of her child.
Laura said, "TJC has been such a help. Sometimes I'll get a call - out of the blue - from an advocate checking in to see how I'm doing. TJC has been wonderful."
Sally
Sally is the mother of Stacy, who was born with a rare illness that required half of her brain to be removed. Stacey was then placed in an acute care facility which threatened to discharge her without appropriate services to help her transition to her next care placement. Sally recognized that transitional services were necessary to her daughter’s well-being. She contacted TJC for help.
“Stacy is my life,” said Sally, expressing the depth of her love for her daughter.
TJC filed appeals on behalf of Sally and her child. Stacy received specialized treatment for brain injury patients, treatment she should receive by law.
To read Mother's Day stories from past years, click here.
Laura's stepson, 11 year-old Ashton, lost his birth mother to a blood disorder. When Laura was diagnosed with cancer, she feared that the child might lose two mothers to disease.
