Next on my list of most outstanding women is my dear friend Tenecia “Tillie” Smith! Tillie was one of my students many years ago at Calhoun when she served as an ambassador for the college. Tillie has Sickle Cell Anemia and has lived with this disease all her life. I admire her so much for her tenacity (her name even reflects it – tenacity/Tenecia - it kind of rhymes!). She has the greatest attitude, even though she has to endure excruciating pain at times. I admire her spirit and courage because she is so strong, both physically and emotionally. She’s lived practically half her life in the hospital. I know she gets lonely and discouraged sometimes, but I know that she has a strong faith and love for her family and son and that keeps her going. She’s grown into a beautiful woman who is a wonderful wife, mother, daughter, and friend. I love her so much and she reminds me of how fortunate it is to have good health and be pain-free. I wish I could take some of her pain away because she deserves to be content. Through our friendship, I’ve also learned a lot about this terrible disease. I know she will never be free of it, but hopefully she will be a soldier for a possible cure one day. Thank you Tillie, for teaching me so much, and being such a good friend and role model for me. Love you girlie! Here’s a picture of her when she was pregnant a few years ago. Isn’t she a doll!
