May 21, 2026

Ten months ago we found out Erma had stage 4 cancer. We had days to get to St. Jude for surgery and treatment. When we left, we barely packed because we had no idea how long we’d be gone. My best friends spent days packing up our house, emptying the fridge, and even doing surprise repairs for us

We had just moved into our new house in March, and by July we were gone. We only got four months there. There were still unfinished projects, boxes sitting in the living room, and not a single picture hanging on the walls. We thought we had all summer to settle in and make it ours.

I recently came back for appointments and found my kids’ shoes still sitting by the door exactly where we left them, only now they’re three sizes too small. It felt like walking into a time capsule.

At this point, my kids have lived in our apartment in Memphis twice as long as they lived in our house in Hammond, and I’ve never been more excited to go back and truly settle in. During Erma’s second transplant, I started longing for home even more. Erma was incredibly sick, I ended up catching something too, and Memphis was hit with an ice storm that left us feeling isolated at the hospital. Johnny stayed with my mom for nearly two weeks because the roads were too dangerous for him to come back.

During transplant, I went 10 days without even stepping outside for fresh air and that was nothing compared to what Erma endured. Around that time, she watched Wicked 2 over and over, and one day the song “No Place Like Home” came on and completely broke me. I sat there and cried listening to the lyrics:

“When you feel you can't fight anymore

Just tell yourself

There's no place like home”

Erma hasn’t been back to our house since we left last July. This will be her first time sleeping in her own bed again, playing with her toys, running in the grass, and getting to feel a little like a normal kid.

I’m so grateful for this community and so thankful to live where we do. I have never felt so supported by friends and this community that now feels like family. Hammond, you are such a special place.

Hammond, we’re coming for you because there truly is no place like home!