Dear Tom,
My wife Dawn was the single mother of 2 girls when I met her — Shyler and Shytrell. I had a son from a previous marriage – Marcus. It was at a New Year’s Eve Party…1994 going into 95…and we’ve been together ever since.
She was going to nursing school but after we married, we had a little girl, Devon. Dawn quit school that I could enlist full-time and raise our family. We moved around from base to base but in 2003, we settled down in lansdale and she started nursing school again.
That’s when she became a foster mother to children who were from abusive homes. 5 years ago, we took in 3 girls and an infant and eventually adopted them all. Destinee is now 13, Danielle (11), Courtney (9) and Michelle is now 5.
My wife continues to give so much of herself to our family – so much that I am constantly in awe of her strength and compassion – especially when it’s time to do all of that laundry.
Her favorite game to play with the kids is Uno. She also likes playing Just Dance with the girls as well as taking them all to the dollar movies in the summertime. Dawn sings in the church choir, does Praise & Worship Team on Thursdays and enjoys taking in a good book when she has some free time.
I will be retiring in 2013 after 25 years in the Air National Guard and I would love for her to win this award just to let her know how much she is loved and appreciated.
