My Aunt Stole the $3,765 I Spent a Year Saving to Take My Mom to the Ocean – She Thought She Could Get Away With It..

The word cancer hit our tiny apartment like a wrecking ball last spring. I remember sitting in that sterile hospital room, watching my mother’s face crumble as the doctor explained treatment options and survival rates. I excused myself to the bathroom and sobbed until my chest ached, then splashed cold water on my face and walked back in with a smile.

“We’re going to beat this,” I whispered, gripping Mom’s hand.

And somehow, we did. After months of chemotherapy, sleepless nights, and more tears than I thought possible, Mom went into remission. The day we got the news, we cried again—only this time, they were tears of joy.

That night, I made myself a promise: If Mom could fight this hard to stay alive, I would fight just as hard to give her something beautiful.

“Mom, when you’re feeling stronger, where would you love to go?” I asked as we walked home from the hospital. She paused, looking up at the gray Oakridge sky. “The ocean. I haven’t seen the ocean since I was your age.”