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Lauren and Thad didn’t know it at the time, but a magnificent love story began on South Carolina’s beaches when they were just kids with Lauren growing up on Myrtle Beach and Thad growing up on Hilton Head Island. The physical activity that they enjoyed separately on the beaches led them to pursue a higher level of sport at Coker University, where they met in the fall of 2010.
They would later reconnect in the summer of 2013 when Lauren took a trip to Hilton Head Island where the two became inseparable spending days on the beach and nights on the dance floor. This love story would lead to Lauren’s journey from being an incredible person to also being a wife and mother who enriches everyone’s lives around her.
“I admire how much she cares about every moment. She sees the world in a different light than everybody else,” said Thad. “She always has a positive attitude and becomes the center of attention in every group we find ourselves in. Everyone who meets her is drawn to her charisma and passion. Best of all, she motivates me to be better every day.”
Lauren’s compassionate nature and strong work ethic have led to a successful career at LocumTenens.com. Another benefit of this job, and a testament to Lauren’s love for her 18-month-old daughter Leila Ruth Sulek, is that she can work from home and care for Leila so she doesn’t miss any of life’s big milestones with her baby.
One of Thad’s favorite memories was the birth of Leila. Thad referred to Lauren as one of the strongest women he knows as he remembered her not taking the epidural while giving birth.
“Lauren laid on her back with her eyes closed grimacing in pain, only to suddenly feel the warmth of Leila on her chest,” said Thad. “Leila looked up at her and Lauren looked down. Their hearts were beating in unison. They were skin-to-skin. I hovered over the two of them, embracing them both. It was the perfect moment.”
Lauren has continued to be a great mother ever since, including when she experiments with tasty, healthy recipes to benefit Leila. Lauren is always finding new and creative activities for them to do together whether it is going for picnics, blowing bubbles, picking flowers, dancing in the kitchen, drawing animals in chalk on the driveway or reading stories before bedtime. One of Thad and Leila’s favorite memories was the time Lauren filled a squirt bottle full of water and proceeded to squirt herself in the face, which left Leila in hysterics.
“I would like Lauren to know how much Leila and I love her, how much she means to us and our little family, and especially how she has shaped the people we are today,” said Thad. “She is our world and the three of us are happiest when we are all together and making memories.”
What better way is there to celebrate Mother’s Day than with sentiments like that?
