“It seems very sweet, and it seems like something she would definitely say, you know,” said Jevon Castrillo about his late mom’s letter.<\/p>\n
A heart-wrenching letter penned by a heroic 9\/11 flight attendant has finally reached her son \u2014 over 20 years after she perished aboard Flight 93 in the September 11, 2001, attacks.<\/strong> for $ In a moment as poignant as it is powerful, Jevon Castrillo<\/strong>, 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<\/strong>, just months before her tragic death<\/i>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The touching revelation was made possible by WPTV reporter Jon Shainman<\/strong>, who orchestrated a video call between Castrillo and his former kindergarten teacher, Tammy Thurman<\/strong> \u2014 the woman who had held onto the letter all these years.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The letter’s path<\/a> to Castrillo was anything but ordinary.<\/strong> 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.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Shainman delivered the letter to him on a Tuesday. The request for Castrillo to read it aloud<\/i> transformed a simple exchange into a moment of profound connection between a son and the mother he lost <\/strong>far too soon.<\/strong><\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n The letter had originally been sent<\/strong> to Castrillo’s kindergarten teacher, Thurman. She explained that she kept it with her across years and schools \u2014 four moves in total<\/i> \u2014 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.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n “As a mom, I know you need to see those words from your mom,”<\/strong> Thurman told<\/a> him. “She was a wonderful woman, and you were a wonderful student.”<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n On the call, Thurman even surprised Castrillo with a class photo, rekindling memories of his earliest school days.<\/strong> Overwhelmed, he expressed his gratitude<\/a>, “Thank you so much for both the roles you guys played in getting me this note. You guys did great.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n When he finally read the words written in his mother’s penmanship, his voice wavered with emotion as he became tearful.<\/i> “Very touching,”<\/strong> he said<\/a>. “It seems very sweet, and it seems like something she would definitely say, you know.”<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n The note itself reflected a moment of maternal pride<\/strong> 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,<\/i>” reads<\/a> the letter.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Just months later, Lyles, a former Fort Pierce detective, would lose her life aboard United Flight 93<\/strong>, one of the four hijacked planes on that fateful morning in 2001. Castrillo, now a father to a three-month-old, vows to continue honoring her legacy<\/strong>: to live a life that would make her proud \u2014 just as she once said he made her.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n In Fort Pierce and beyond, Lyles’s name is etched in stone \u2014 literally and figuratively.<\/strong> A statue and engraved plaque now stand in her honor, ensuring that her bravery is never forgotten.<\/p>\n<\/div>\nA Letter Lost to Time\u2026 Finally Delivered<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
A Teacher’s Promise Kept Across Four Moves and 24 Years<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
Cee Cee Ross Lyles’s Words from the past Still Tug at the Heartstrings<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
A Legacy That Still Lives On<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n