Jevon Castrillo was overcome with grief after receiving a letter, decades after his mother was killed in the 9/11 attacks.
The letter was written by his mom, Cee Cee Ross Lyles, 33, in March 2001 and sent to his elementary school teacher, Tammy Thurman. His mother, a former Fort Pierce detective, was a flight attendant on Flight 93, which crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, on September 11, 2001. According to the National Park Service, Lyles finished her flight attendant training in January 2001.
Thurman, Castrillo’s elementary teacher, submitted the letter to WPTV. Thurman told the publication that she saved the letter even as she went to four different schools in Lee County. Fortunately, the station was able to arrange a Zoom call between Castrillo and Thurman.
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When he finally opened the letter on September 16 this year, it was filled with glowing remarks. With tears in his eyes, Castrillo read Lyles’ letter out loud during the call.
“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,” the letter read, according to the outlet. “Again, thank you for your dedication and courage for the job that you do. Cee Cee Lyles.”
“Very touching…” Castrillo told WPTV. “It seems very sweet and it seems like something she would definitely say, you know.”
“As a mom, I know you need to see those words from your mom. She was a wonderful woman and you were a wonderful student,” said Thurman.
Thurman even included a class photo.
“Thank you so much for both the roles you guys played in getting me this note. You guys did great,” said Castrillo.
Castrillo was six years old when his mother passed away, but he is among the many people who still remember her bravery and compassionate nature, as WPTV previously reported. Now a father to a 3-month-old, he said he will continue to make his mother smile because he knows she was proud of him.
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As reported by People, his mother was one of seven crew members on United Airlines Flight 93, the last of four hijacked aircraft on September 11, the morning of the attack. The 9/11 Memorial & Museum reports that Lyles left a voicemail on her husband Lorne’s answering machine following the other planes’ crashes into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City.
“You have to listen to me carefully. I’m on a plane that’s been hijacked,” she said.
Lyles’ plane was scheduled to land in San Francisco after taking off from Newark International Airport in New Jersey. Instead, the plane was going toward Washington, D.C.
“They’ve hijacked the plane, I’m trying to be calm. We’re turned around, and I’ve heard that there’s planes that’s been, been flown into the World Trade Center,” Lyles said in her message. “I hope to be able to see your face again, baby. I love you.”
The flight attendant was able to reach her husband just after 10 a.m. Lyles informed him that she and other passengers wanted to take back control of the plane. According to the museum, part of the plan involved dumping boiling water on the hijackers.
Together, both of them prayed, and as the call ended, Lyles sent one final message to her kids.
“Tell the boys I love them,” Lorne recalled later, according to the National Park Service. “We’re getting ready to do it now. It’s happening!”
All 44 people on board the flight died when it crashed into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, but “the actions Lyles and others took to fight back that morning likely saved the lives of hundreds of others on the ground,” according to the museum. Thousands were hurt and 2,977 people died as a result of the attacks.
“Her ability to remain calm amidst the chaos demonstrated not only incredible professionalism, but also courage and strength,” the organization added.
