ABINGTON, Mass. — An Abington mother fighting pancreatic cancer didn't let her terminal disease keep her from watching her son's Air Force promotion ceremony in Albuquerque Thursday.
Theresa Teehan, 76, is the matriarch of a military family, the widow of a Korean War veteran and proud mother of Col. Russell Teehan, 44, who was promoted to the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory's director of Space Vehicles Directorate on Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Having attended more than two decades of her son's graduations and promotions, she was determined to be there for his ceremony on Thursday, despite doctor's orders not to travel.
"I went to every ceremony all around the country, and then this year I couldn't go because of the cancer. I couldn't fly. And I was upset," Mrs. Teehan said. "I decided to call FOX25 News to see if we could Skype it or whatever they call it."
The Air Force set up a Skype feed, and, joined by other children and grandchildren, Mrs. Teehan watched the ceremony live from her Abington living room.
"It was just like I was there. I was glad I could do that," she said. "I have six children and I'm proud of every one of them, but he makes me proud. He's my baby."
Col. Teehan took the stage, thanking his superiors for the promotion and his mother for her support.
"I just wanted to say a special thanks, Mom, for everything you've done for me," Col. Teehan said. "I know you couldn't be here today, and I appreciate you Skyping in, and I wanted to present a set of flowers to you."
Col. Teehan's sister, Christine, surprised their mother with the flowers - a tradition for which Mrs. Teehan had become accustomed throughout the years.
"I said, 'If I don't get flowers, you're in trouble,'" Mrs. Teehan joked. "And I said, 'If I do get flowers, they better be bigger than everyone else's.'"
The ceremony was perhaps the most important for Mrs. Teehan to be a part of; doctors weren't sure she would make it to that day.
"I don't think I'll be here for any other ones. Because of the cancer, I wasn't supposed to be here for this," Mrs. Teehan said. "The oncologist said you can be whatever you want to be if you keep having special thoughts for different things to be alive for, so I pushed to be alive for this."
Cox Media Group
