Telinia Brown McCormick's Children's Fund

Hi, my name is Brooks Allen. I want to share a story that will probably make you want to shed tears of both joy and sadness.

I have known Adam McCormick for several years now and consider him a very good friend. He is truly a great man. Adam struggled for many years with addiction, landing him in prison more than once. However, he took the necessary steps years ago to turn his life around. Adam joined AA and has been clean and sober for many years now. Several years ago, he came into my life as a truck driver for my company. After working for us for about a year, he was promoted to a supervisor position in July 2020. Adam would regularly tell me that his goal was to buy a truck and become an owner operator. He diligently saved and was getting very close to his goal.

In the beginning of October 2020, Adam subscribed to ancestry.com. On October 10, 2020, much to his surprise, he found out that he had a daughter named Telinia that he was unaware of. He sent her a message and she replied on October 20, 2020. They immediately started texting and talking on the phone. Adam learned that Telinia Marie Brown was born in May 1984. Adam and Telinia's mother had broken up in 1983 and never reconnected again. Telinia's mother had passed away in 2020, just a few months before connecting with her father, after a long battle with cancer. Adam learned that he had 3 beautiful grandchildren from Telinia. After hundreds of texts and many hours on the phone, Telinia boarded a plane on December 3, 2020 for the first time in her life and flew from her home in Michigan to San Antonio Texas to visit her newly found father and grandmother.

Telinia and her father bonded immediately. It was amazing how much they were alike. According to Adam, they were "instant besties". They had both been through so much and finally had found each other. They talked daily. Whichever one of them woke up first in the morning would text the other to check on them. They were so grateful to have each other.

Telinia brought her three children to San Antonio to meet and visit their newfound grandfather and great-grandmother last spring break. Adam went all out and reserved two connecting rooms at a hotel and they played for a week straight. Adam instantly fell in love with his grandchildren. After the visit, he was so excited to tell everyone about his beautiful family. He would beam with pride as he shared the experiences that they had had and they all craved more.

In March 2021, shortly after their spring break, Telinia was diagnosed with advanced cervical cancer. Fresh from the scars of her mother's long and difficult battle with cancer, this was devastating. Still, they committed to staying positive and hoping for the best.

Shortly after the diagnosis, Adam decided to have a challenging conversation with his mother. She is 75 years old, and about the sweetest person I have ever met. She had lived in the same house for many years, and Adam had moved in with her as she needed a little more help than she once did. She was ingrained in the community, very active in her church and had the most incredible friends that she could hope for. They both decided to move to Michigan to be close to Telinia and her children.

Adam was getting very close to his goal of buying his truck but decided that a truck could wait and that he needed to become a homeowner and buy a house for him and his mother near Telinia. The hunt was on. The housing market in Michigan (like most places) was very hot. Homes would sell very quickly. After an extensive search, the perfect house was found by Telinia and without even looking at it in person, Adam made an offer that was accepted. Adam closed on the house, still never seeing it, and they started packing up their home in Texas.

Adam and his mother made the long drive from San Antonio, Texas to Jackson, Michigan and rolled into their new driveway on November 15, 2021. They got settled the best they could and had a wonderful Thanksgiving 10 days later. Adam described it as a "glorious mess". A glorious mess that he wouldn't trade for the world.

As an over the road truck driver, Adam left home after Thanksgiving and was gone until just before Christmas. He would normally stay on the road for longer periods of time (8 plus weeks) but decided being home for Christmas with his family was too important to miss so he came home earlier than he normally would have. It was a financially expensive decision for him to make as that time of the year is peak season for truck drivers, but it didn't matter. Again, he wouldn't have traded his time with his new found family for anything. Christmas was described as another glorious mess. He was loving spoiling his daughter and grandchildren and making them feel how much they meant to him.

Everything was going great and they couldn't be happier. Telinia was battling her disease but seamed to be making progress. Many of the symptoms that cancer usually brings had were not there yet. She knew she was sick, but it was manageable. Adam left the day after Christmas to go back to work planning to get back home more often to be with his family. Then it happened.

Telinia started having extreme pain the week after Christmas. She rested the best she could hoping that it would pass. It didn't pass. They thought she was getting better only to have her get much worse very quickly. She was rushed to the hospital on January 8. Adam rushed home to be with her and arrived at the hospital on January 9. Telinia's body was shutting down and the doctors had put her in an induced coma. Adam spent the next 2 days at her side although she never came out of the coma. Telinia Marie Brown McCormick (she decided to take her fathers name a few months ago) passed away on January 11, 2022.

Adam is heartbroken. He lost his daughter and best friend. They knew their time together would probably be somewhat short but never thought it would be this short. Adam says that this has been the best year of his life. He misses her deeply and feels lost but is so grateful for the time he had with her and the 3 wonderful grandchildren she gave him.

Telinia's family has lost a mother and breadwinner. They need help. There have been so many tender mercies that God has bestowed upon their family. Let's assist with another tender mercy. I would ask anyone who has the means to please help lighten the heavy load they have right now by donating to them. Please help if you can.