DALLAS — A nurse for Baylor Scott and White got a nice Christmas surprise Thursday when her son, who recently enlisted in the Air Force, surprised her by coming home.
Teresa Melton-Strader has a close relationship with her son, Matthew Melton, 19. Their family has been through a lot over the last three years, and through everything, Matt has been a source of strength.
In 2015, Melton-Strader lost her father Ronnie York to a stroke. The following year, in 2016, she lost her husband Terry Melton to cancer at the age of 51.
After that, in April of 2017, Melton-Strader was handed another tragedy. An E4 tornado moving through East Texas destroyed her home in Eustace.
Melton-Strader and other family members miraculously walked away from the home unharmed. “We weren’t lucky to be alive, we were blessed to be alive,” Melton-Strader said.
After finding a new home and picking up the pieces of their lives, Melton-Strader eventually remarried that year. Her son Matthew, also joined the Air Force after graduating from high school. “It’s something that he’s wanted to do all his life,” Melton-Strader said. “Still, it’s a big change having your child leave home and then the next thing you know their parents are the U.S. Military.”
Melton is stationed in Montana 1,500 miles away from his mom, and this year would be the first year Melton-Strader would spend Christmas without him.
At least, that’s what she thought was going to happen while sitting at her desk inside Baylor Scott and White Hospital in Downtown Dallas. Melton-Strader monitors and analyzes patient quality for the hospital.
When her supervisor called a “staff meeting,” Melton-Strader was led to the lobby of the building where her son surprised her. “Hi mom!” he said with a smile.
Melton-Strader gasped and covered her mouth with both hands. This Christmas, she got the best present of all. “Are you really here?!” she said while hugging Melton.
You see, when you’ve lost a lot, moments like this go a long way.
“There are no words when you lose people that you love,” Melton-Strader said. “You realize how important the people you do love are. You don’t know when you’re going to get another Christmas, and you don’t know when you’re going to have those special times.”
“I’m just very thankful to have him here.”
According to Melton-Strader, Melton’s visit home had been in the works for weeks.
Her husband, Bobby Strader, said that it was well worth the wait. “Seeing her tears of joy makes it all worth it,” Strader said. “There’s no way you can replace this. Tornados can come, and storms can take everything you have…but this moment they can’t take.”