A dad from Pennsylvania is going viral on the internet for a touching tribute to his late mom who died of cancer, and he told Newsweek how his clips are helping to preserve memories of her in younger members of the family.
Jay Lyons, based in Glen Mills, posted a video on Instagram which shows two poignant clips: the first captures the moment he surprised his mom by naming his first and only daughter after her.
In the clip, Lyons and his wife Jenny had just put the final touches on their unborn daughter's nursery and wanted to give Grace a tour. As she turns around to look at the wall, she gasps and says, "Wait, is that what you're naming the baby?" The camera pans around to see the name Grace written in pink lettering.
The second shows their three-year-old daughter, Gracie, joyfully running to embrace her grandmother, lovingly called "mom mom." Lyons' mother, who passed away from pancreatic cancer, had been incredibly close to Gracie, leaving a legacy of love and strength that lives on in her granddaughter.
Lyons' mother had a life marked by both hardship and triumph. Born from an extramarital affair, she was given up for adoption by her mother, "who couldn't stand the thought" of raising a mixed-race child, he told Newsweek.
Her biological father was of Black and Native American heritage, from the Wiyot people in Northern California, while her mother was white. Grace was adopted at the age of five by a family with a history of welcoming children who were often overlooked.
By age 15, Grace was pregnant with her first child, and by 21, she had four children. She supported her family while her husband was on disability due to a severe back injury, working multiple jobs, including participating in medical research trials.
Her tireless work ethic eventually led her to become the director of the GI Department at Fox Chase Cancer Center, a remarkable achievement given her humble beginnings.
"She had a toughness about her that was unlike anyone I've ever met," Lyons told Newsweek. "She never allowed us to think anything was too difficult. She instilled a level of confidence in her children that borders on delusion." Under her guidance, all of her children went on to become successful entrepreneurs.
The decision to name Jay's daughter Gracie after his mother was filled with meaning. "In my mind, I was passing down a part of my mom," Lyons said. His mother took immense pride in her middle name, Grace, given to her by her adoptive mother, Rose, in honor of her sister.
The bond between Gracie and her grandmother was deep, with the two sharing precious moments together until Grace's passing.
One of Grace's greatest fears was that her grandchildren wouldn't remember her after she was gone. Lyons, aware of this, recorded as many moments as possible, though his mother, weakened by her illness, eventually grew more private. "Towards the end, she didn't want people to see her weak and hairless, so I was limited in what I could capture," he told Newsweek.
The video of Gracie running to hug her mom mom has brought many to tears, with countless individuals reaching out to share their own stories of loss.
Lyons told Newsweek about the overwhelming response: "It's really sad to hear how many people are facing similar difficulties, but there's been some comfort in it as well. A lot of people have told me they cried over the video."
"Cancer sucks, and it seems like its reach is vast," Lyons told Newsweek, noting the widespread impact of the disease, which had touched his family in multiple ways.
His mother had survived both breast and thyroid cancer before succumbing to pancreatic cancer, leaving behind a legacy of strength that continues to inspire her family.
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