ERIN KRAMP
Erin Kramp was a special mom whom Oprah has called a "heartprint" for her extraordinary legacy of love. She appeared on The Oprah Show with her husband, Doug, in 1998 after receiving a devastating breast cancer diagnosis.
Erin knew she was dying, and after realizing that her 6-year-old daughter, Peyton, would have to grow up without her, she began recording hours and hours of motherly advice. The videotapes covered everything from how to choose makeup ("Try to find makeup that looks natural, like you're not wearing any") to how to choose a husband ("Pick a very nice guy who has a backbone"). In the midst of grueling treatments, Erin also found the strength to write letters and prepare gifts for Peyton to open every Christmas and birthday after she was gone.
Erin lost her battle with breast cancer on October 31, 1998.
Doug returned to The Oprah Show, this time with Peyton, in 2005. Peyton said she had watched or listened to 12 of the more than 100 video and audiotapes left by her mother. "It made me feel very special to see all those tapes," Peyton said. "I guess it was just showing me how much she really loved me. When most people lose a loved one, they forget all about what they look like. With mom's videotapes that she made, I know what she looks like—I can still hear her voice. ... I can feel her love."
