Darrien Middleton is a young woman who absolutely loves her grandmother. She refers to her as Nana Wilma, and the two of them have a very special bond. She also works as an emergency room nurse so she is unable to watch over her Nana every moment of the day. Of course, she wishes that she could be there more often but it isn’t really necessary. After all, her Nana has a special guardian that comes in a most unexpected package.
Two years ago, Nana Wilma was given a diagnosis of lung cancer and it was shocking to the entire family. She had to go through surgery to have a lung removed and then six months later, she was told that she had breast cancer. As you can imagine, it was devastating to Darrien, who knew very well what being diagnosed with cancer in such a way could mean. In fact, she said: “Two separate cancers less than a year apart; it has been an extremely long two years, to say the least. Thankfully, she is still fighting today.”
Darrien has been gently trying to get her grandmother to move in with her over the past few years. She wants to give her the opportunity to fight the cancer but she says that Nana Wilma is stubborn and refuses to move out of her home, where she has lived for 38 years.
“She loves her home, her independence, her yard, and especially her neighbors. Every morning around 6 a.m., she wakes up, makes a cup of coffee, and goes directly to her porch.”
Darrien is aware that many people talk negatively about the rundown neighborhood were Nana Wilma lives. They have lived there for so long, however, that it was there through both the good times and the bad times. Nana Wilma has neighbors who show kindness that has been a real blessing.
“I work full time in the emergency department in our hometown on night shift. That alone keeps my schedule very limited, along with being a full-time student. We don’t have much family here, so getting Nana back and forth to treatment every day and being able to check on her frequently (or as much as I would like) has been difficult for me to do. This is where her beautiful neighbors come into play. They check on her multiple times throughout the day and have even helped me get her to chemotherapy and radiation appointments. They are honestly what keeps Nana going. I can’t go over to her home without someone at some point yelling ‘Hey Ms. Wilma, How ya doing?’ She knows everyone by name and they know and love her just as much as I do.”
One of the neighbors, in particular, makes sure that he shares some time with Nana Wilma almost every day. It is a seven-year-old boy named Caleb who checks in on her regularly.
When Nana Wilma has extra, she gives him some of the food and she provides him with plenty of attention. Caleb and his two brothers live with their father next door.
Darrien may be a youngster but he is an old soul that is loved by everyone in the neighborhood. That is why she wanted to share the story with the world because he sits on the porch with Nana Wilma and they chat or they just enjoy some silent moments.
“My Nana is so attached to him and the bond they have is incredible. He doesn’t come from much, but you can tell he has been raised on love. He will bust out a dance move in a heartbeat, will go on and on about how much he loves school, and make you laugh until you cry. This kid deserves the love he has received from this post. He stands out from the norm and brings so much joy into everyone’s life he is around. I am so thankful for him and the love he has shown my grandmother. I know for certain it has helped her on her hardest days. He will never know how much I truly appreciate him. I hope one day he realizes the impact he has left on her life and mine as well.”
Nana Wilma will have to go through 30 more rounds of radiation but she always has her family and friends. Caleb is there for her as much as he can be and you can find him on Nana Wilma’s porch in Jackson, Tennessee.
