I wanted to thank you for your 25th anniversary issue (Cover Story, Oct. 24). I am sure this sometimes is just a job to each of you in writing articles and publishing a magazine, but often you may not be aware of how valuable your jobs are to others, and how you may be affecting others lives.

I would like to direct this to photographer Chad Hunt and writer Greg Weatherford, who wrote the original article on my granddaughter Heather Burkett and her parents, Tammy and Alfred, No. 10 in your “12 Moving Images” story.

My daughter Tammy died Nov. 25, 2003 from complications of lupus, while waiting for a lung transplant for which she and Alfred had waited for nearly eight years. Chad Hunt’s remembrance of Tam, Heather and Alfred, as a family, was more special to Tammy’s family than he will know, especially for this time of the year when her memory is so strong in each of us, and the sadness of her death still overwhelms us at times.

Tammy talked so highly, to me, of Chad and Greg. She had so much fun and laughed as she watched them enjoy her daughter’s racing. She enjoyed so much having met both of these young men and somehow always quickly made people feel like friends. They both made very, very special moments in my daughter’s life in honoring her little family and their huge hearts in Style Weekly.

I am sure my daughter is pleased today to know her family touched Chad enough that he would remember her family once again at such a memorable time. Heather has such a difficult time still as Thanksgiving nears, as her mom was buried the day after. She and I were just talking about it, when all of a sudden we heard about this article and Chad’s remembrance in Style Weekly.

This may have just been another day’s work to him, but his touching words reminded us that Tammy is still working her special magic, through old friends, to let her daughter and family know it is OK to enjoy Thanksgiving this year and to know she is still very much with us. We will remember you Chad in our prayers on Thanksgiving Day this year for your special gift to us.

Barbara Roddy
Sandston