“It seems very sweet, and it seems like something she would definitely say, you know,” said Jevon Castrillo about his late mom’s letter.
A heart-wrenching letter penned by a heroic 9/11 flight attendant has finally reached her son — over 20 years after she perished aboard Flight 93 in the September 11, 2001, attacks. for $ In a moment as poignant as it is powerful, Jevon Castrillo, now a grown man and father, came face to face with a message written in March 2001 by his late mother, Cee Cee Ross Lyles, just months before her tragic death.
The touching revelation was made possible by WPTV reporter Jon Shainman, who orchestrated a video call between Castrillo and his former kindergarten teacher, Tammy Thurman — the woman who had held onto the letter all these years.
A Letter Lost to Time… Finally Delivered
The letter’s path to Castrillo was anything but ordinary. Shainman first came across the note when it arrived at the station. With curiosity and reverence, Shainman delivered it directly to him in Fort Pierce, where Castrillo carefully unfolded the piece of paper that had been preserved for nearly a quarter of a century.
Shainman delivered the letter to him on a Tuesday. The request for Castrillo to read it aloud transformed a simple exchange into a moment of profound connection between a son and the mother he lost far too soon.
A Teacher’s Promise Kept Across Four Moves and 24 Years
The letter had originally been sent to Castrillo’s kindergarten teacher, Thurman. She explained that she kept it with her across years and schools — four moves in total — never letting go of the keepsake. When the opportunity finally arose, she shared it with Shainman, who arranged for her and Castrillo to reconnect on a Zoom call.
“As a mom, I know you need to see those words from your mom,” Thurman told him. “She was a wonderful woman, and you were a wonderful student.”
On the call, Thurman even surprised Castrillo with a class photo, rekindling memories of his earliest school days. Overwhelmed, he expressed his gratitude, “Thank you so much for both the roles you guys played in getting me this note. You guys did great.”
When he finally read the words written in his mother’s penmanship, his voice wavered with emotion as he became tearful. “Very touching,” he said. “It seems very sweet, and it seems like something she would definitely say, you know.”
Cee Cee Ross Lyles’s Words from the past Still Tug at the Heartstrings
The note itself reflected a moment of maternal pride that had been waiting more than two decades to be heard. “Dear Ms. Thurman, Jevon read a book last night that he brought home from the library. He read it from cover to cover. I told him I would write you a note and tell you what an outstanding job he did. We are very proud of him and will continue to work with him at home. Again, thank you for your dedication and courage for the job that you do. Cee Cee Lyles,” reads the letter.
