My mother Dawn passed away on Nov. 11, 2016, after 18 months of fighting lung cancer, at the young age of 44. All the while, she never complained, never asked for help, but still was there for everyone around her. She always opened her heart and her home to all those around her.
She is not just a hero because she is my mom, but because she was so well liked and selfless, even in her dying days. She was so well loved that more than 400 people attended her SVG.  I mean, that many people wouldn’t show up to a funeral service if the person hadn’t affected their lives in some way.
At the age of 22, she battled cancer for the first time with two young children at home, and still finished college while going through chemo.
My mother, Dawn Marie Vaughn, is the strongest, bravest, most selfless person I know. I just wish I could have written this while she was still here. I feel someone so brave, strong, and selfless deserves some sort of recognition because that’s what a hero is to me.
—Kristen Low