Nearly a quarter-century after the September 11th terrorist attacks, Jevon Castrillo has received an unexpected gift from his late mother, CeeCee Ross Lyles, one of the heroic flight attendants who died aboard United Airlines Flight 93.
In March 2001, just six months before the tragedy, Lyles wrote a heartfelt letter to Castrillo’s kindergarten teacher, Tammy Thurman, praising her son’s passion for reading. The note, preserved by Thurman for 24 years, was recently returned to Castrillo, along with his class photo.
“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,” the letter read. Lyles went on to thank the teacher for her “dedication and courage.”
Now a parent himself, Castrillo teared up reading the words during an interview with NBC affiliate WPTV.
“Very touching,” he said. “It seems very sweet and it seems like something she would definitely say.”
For Thurman, keeping the letter was an act of love.
“As a mom, I know you need to see those words from your mom,” she told Castrillo. “She was a wonderful woman and you were a wonderful student.”
A Life of Courage
Before becoming a flight attendant, Lyles had served as a police detective. She completed her airline training in January 2001, only months before boarding Flight 93 on Sept. 11.
That morning, hijackers seized control of the plane after it departed from Newark International Airport, redirecting it toward Washington, D.C. In a voicemail to her husband, Lorne, Lyles described the unfolding chaos:
“You have to listen to me carefully. I’m on a plane that’s been hijacked. I hope to be able to see your face again, baby. I love you.”
Later, speaking to Lorne by phone, she revealed that passengers and crew planned to fight back. They prayed together before she ended the call with a message for her children:
“Tell the boys I love them. We’re getting ready to do it now. It’s happening!”
Moments later, the plane crashed into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, killing all 44 on board. Investigators and historians have credited the resistance efforts of Lyles and her fellow passengers with preventing the aircraft from striking its intended target, likely the U.S. Capitol or the White House.
Honoring Her Legacy
Though only 6 years old when his mother died, Castrillo continues to honor her memory.
In September 2024, he joined family and community members at her statue in the Liberty Garden in Fort Pierce, Florida, her hometown.
“She was always there for those in need,” Castrillo said at the memorial. “Her joy, her laughter, her spirit — that’s what we hold on to.”
The rediscovered letter tells the world that before CeeCee Ross Lyles became a national hero, she was first and foremost a loving mother.
