Reading through this year’s submissions for our Best Mother in Suwanee Contest was emotional. There were so many sweet stories about the wonderful women in our community who go above and beyond for their families. The stories were submitted by sons and daughters, husbands and friends, all praising the dedication, selflessness, and love these mothers have shown. To say it was difficult to choose a winner is an understatement. In the end, we chose Julie Huizer, whose daughters, Lindsay, Ally and Gwen, wrote an incredibly touching essay about their mother. Happy Mother’s Day to all of the moms in our community — you all deserve to be recognized for all that you do! To read all of the submissions, visit SuwaneeMagazine.com.
2019 Winner:
Julie Huizer
Submitted by her daughters: Lindsay, Ally, and Gwen
Dear Suwanee Magazine,
We were so excited when we saw your article “Think you have the best Mother in Suwanee?” We absolutely do think our Mother is the best Mother in Suwanee. It is with great honor that we introduce our Mother, Julie Huizer of Suwanee, and we are Lindsay, Ally and Gwen, her daughters. (Lindsay, Junior at UGA, Ally and Gwen, Seniors at NGHS).
Our Mom and Dad have been married for 27 years. Mom can be best described as a selfless daughter, sister, wife, mother, friend and Christian woman. She is always positive and can always be seen doing small acts of kindness for others. Let’s not forget she is a big animal lover. Mom always drops everything she is doing to make sure her kids are safe, healthy, and happy. Family means everything to Mom.
She knows exactly what to do and say in all situations. She knows how to calm us down and help us through the pains and hardships of growing up. She is incredibly supportive and extremely proud of each one of us and all of our accomplishments. She never misses an opportunity to let us know how proud she is. She loves us no matter what. She loves us through all of our phases, our attitudes, and even our sassiness. There is nothing that we could ever do that will make her love us less.
On top of doing ALL of this for her own kids, Mom is a special needs teacher for Gwinnett County Public Schools. Mom is such a dedicated, focused and passionate teacher. She cares deeply for every one of her students. Mom works tirelessly to teach, develop, grow and progress each student.
Remember in the beginning of our essay we used the word “selfless” to best describe our Mom.
Ten years ago, our Dad was diagnosed with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) and given two years to live in 2013. Dad was on dialysis and very sick. Mom took on the role of both Mother and Father. She helped us with homework, cooked, cleaned, did the laundry, food shopped, mowed the lawn, was a full-time teacher, taught all of us how to drive, helped us with college applications, continued as a caregiver to Dad and still went above and beyond to make sure we were all happy and loved during a very difficult, emotional, and stressful time in our lives. We’re sure we left something out but you get the picture — and we thought she was sleep deprived when we were babies! Mom is such a strong woman!!
Remember that word “selfless?” In 2014, Mom stepped up to donate her kidney because time was running out on Dad. Unfortunately, Mom’s kidney was not a match but that didn’t stop her. She met with Dad’s Living Donor Coordinator at Piedmont Atlanta Hospital to review other options. The coordinator put Mom into a four-state chain (GA, TX, NJ & PA). Mom was able to donate her kidney on Dad’s behalf so he could receive from another donor within the chain.
On December 18, 2015, Dad received a kidney from a woman right here in Atlanta, and four months later on April 18, 2016, Mom donated her kidney to a gentleman in Pennsylvania. Her kidney recipient is a Shriner and part of a team of clowns who go to Shriner’s Hospitals to make kids laugh and have fun all while taking their minds off their own pain and suffering. How beautiful is that! He continuously tells Mom how grateful he is for her. He said that Mom has allowed him to continue the great works of the Shriner’s and all of the kids that they bring smiles to in the Shriner’s Hospitals.
How many mothers do you know that save one life in their lifetime? Our Mom has saved two lives! Our Dad’s and this gentleman in Pennsylvania. We are so proud and blessed to call her Mom. We share this story to show you how Mom embraces the true meaning of Motherhood by putting family and others first before herself. We live our lives with our Mom by sharing one beautiful moment at a time.
In a world where everyone is searching to find a role model, we found one, we live with her and we call her Mom. So, when Suwanee Magazine asks: “Think You Have The Best Mother in Suwanee?” We have to say, “YES,” and her name is Julie Huizer!
Thank you for letting us share our Mom…
A special thanks to our sponsors for pampering our winner with an assortment of prizes. Julie, our winner, will receive a prize pack filled with ways to shop, dine and relax, including:
A Makeover Courtesy of Salon Greco
Restaurant Gift Cards from Tequila Mama Tacqueria and SipHappens.
Gift Cards from Fa’brik, Vitality Med Spa, Pulse Nail Bar, and the Lavender Bar.
