For so many reasons, Jessica’s mother is a hero. For the past two years, she has fiercely fought cancer, and for decades before that she fiercely loved and cared for her family and friends. To honor all the love that her mother had fought for through the years, Jessica gave her this song that honored her life and gave thanks to all she’s done.
 

 
“My mom Debby is my hero. She was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer two years ago at the age of 66. She went through the most draining chemo two different times, radiation, and major surgery, but she is still suffering. She is in hospice at the end now and I wanted to get her a song to make her smile and let her know how much she is loved.
 
She is most generous person I know. She is always making people feel comfortable and welcome. She has a million friends from her childhood until now – so many people love her and it is easy to see why. She has been a volunteer with Make A Wish Foundation for the past 20 years and has made lasting relationships with the kids for whom she has helped grant wishes. She is EVERYTHING to me (and my sisters and especially to her husband, Kevin). She is our life. Kevin and my mom have been married for 11 years but, together since 1994. They are the reason I found true love. Their love for each other is so beautiful. They respect one another and are true soulmates.
 
My mom has always put us kids first our whole lives. She was the mom that all my friends wished they had. Our house was always filled with all of my friends because of my mom. She came to every game of ours and has been by our side for every major life event. She was even in the room with me for both of my kids’ births. She is loved by so many people! People from her past such as grade school, from every job she has worked and from every neighborhood in which she has lived. Everyone loves my mom. She is her happiest when she is surrounded by the people who love her and who she can love.
 
She is known to our kids as Gigi. Gigi is the one who calls for every birthday, every time they are sick, every test, every soccer game, gymnastics meet, baseball game and dance recital. She calls because she wants to talk to them, to wish them luck, to ask them how they did, to just show them she LOVES them. She makes each grandchild feel special. I can only hope I am the mom to my kids as she was to me.
 
My mom is someone I want to talk to every day, someone who I can trust and count on, and someone who has helped me become the woman I am.
 
She was a legal secretary right out of high school and helped put my dad through college. She then took pride in staying home with us kids. She was involved in our lives from coaching our sports teams to heading the PTA and just being available to anyone who needed her. Always putting others first. She taught me to love myself, to not hold grudges and to always communicate. She taught me to say I love you like I mean it, to save save save and to see the positive in things.
 
She taught me to treat others like I want to be treated, to respect one another and laugh until your stomach hurts (or until she pees her pants). One of my favorite things to do with my mom (and my sister) is to laugh. We laugh so hard we can’t breathe and our stomachs hurt, and then we laugh so hard for so long we forgot what we were laughing at. I am so lucky to have a mom like mine. I am so lucky to have the love and support from her during my life. No matter what path I chose I knew my mom would support me.
 
My hero – my mom. It makes me so sad to see her in so much pain and so sad to know how scared she is right now. I love you so much mom. More than you know.”