Each month, iParenting.com spotlights a mother who inspires and moves us, who embodies the qualities that we all admire in a person, a woman and a mother. Above all, the Mom of the Month is dedicated to her children. Rich or poor, famous or not, she shines as an example of what mothering is all about.

Our choice for November is Susan Bordow Bonnett, mother and grandmother.

Susan Bordow Bonnett experienced every parent's nightmare: She found out that her adult daughter, Tamara, had a rare form of cancer. Despite her despair, she held her family together and gave Tamara (Tami) the strength and pride she needed to keep her head high.

Susan's devotion to Tami during her illness is one of the reasons why Tami nominated her mother as iParenting.com's Mom of the Month. "I know that plenty of people probably nominate their mothers, but I hope that you will take the time to see why I think that my mother is particularly special," says Tami.

The Devastating News
Four years ago, Tami wasn't feeling well when she boarded a plane in Israel to visit her family in Maryland. The morning after her arrival, she passed out because she stopped breathing.

"The EMS personnel thought that Tami had pneumonia and that she should go to see the doctor as soon as possible," says Susan. "We insisted that they take her to the hospital because this seemed more serious." After a long series of tests at the hospital, it was discovered that Tami had cancer.

Susan felt a sense of disbelief. She couldn't see how this could have happened to a seemingly healthy 23-year-old. "From the moment of this discovery, my mother held our family together," says Tami. "While the rest of us were falling apart at the seams, somehow she put up a calm front and immediately started taking care of the necessary details." Susan found a doctor for Tami, arranged a biopsy, found a clinical trial for treatment and helped Tami contact her boyfriend in Israel. She even flew Tami's dog over from Israel.

"I just knew that we had to deal with everything one minute at a time. We had to put everything else on hold," says Susan, who believes that her experience in the past as a teacher helped her to remain calm. "A teacher must remain calm when faced with 25 to 30 students all day long."

The Road to Recovery
For one long, difficult year, Susan stood by her daughter's side. "She took me to treatment in the mornings, played cards with me while the IV dripped," says Tami. "She rented videos, pushed my wheelchair and slept with me in the hospital room when I needed to stay overnight. She held my head when I had to throw up, and held me up when I could barely walk."

Susan had a motto throughout Tami's treatment: "distraction and hydration." The distraction helped to heal Tami's mental health. The hydration helped move the constant onslaught of chemotherapy through Tami's body. Susan also had a rule: Tami was allowed to cry and feel sorry for herself for only one hour each day. On the not-so-bad days, a 30-minute cry was sufficient. After the cry, it was time for distraction or hydration.

On one of Tami's worst days, Susan decided to take her shopping. Tami had to wear a mask to keep outside germs away. She was bald and bloated. Susan dressed Tami in the dressing rooms at the stores, commenting all the way on how wonderful everything looked. They bought more on that shopping day than any other.

After the year-long intensive phase of Tami's treatment, Susan and Tami boarded a plane to Israel together, with Tami's dog in tow. It was time for Tami to go home, and Susan wanted to be with her for the flight. This wasn't an easy time for Susan. "I was very worried, but I knew that Tami had been ripped from her life in Israel with this illness and she had to return to see what the future had in store for her with both her boyfriend and her job." Susan and her husband, Tami's father, needed their daughter to make these life-long decisions for herself without any pressure from them.

"My mother has also gained my enormous respect for the strides she has taken in her career," says Tami. Before having children, Susan was a teacher. She left her career to raise her family full time. When her children were grown, Susan re-entered the workforce in a different capacity. She is the technical coordinator of a private school. "She manages the computer network, maintains the school's wide selection of computers and teaches the teachers how to integrate technology into their classrooms," says Tami.

"According to the book Passages, every woman goes through different stages in their lives," Susan says. "I avoided a lot of the negative phases by being able to work, stay at home with my children, return to work and change careers. I always felt challenged." Susan says that one of her best jobs was staying home with her children.

Not only is Susan a loving mother, she is also a loving wife. She and her husband recently celebrated their 31st wedding anniversary. To keep the flame alive, Susan suggests that couples make time for each other by putting the kids to bed at a decent hour or making a date with each other to go out. "Take vacations without the children, as well as with, and show respect for each other," says Susan.

As for Tami's boyfriend in Israel -- he is now Tami's husband, and they recently moved to the United States. Their first child, a boy, was born on August 13, 2000. The birth of Susan's first grandchild is truly a miracle and he is already a winner: He has the most amazing grandmother any child could ask for.