It is hard to imagine what life would be like without your backbone. It is just as hard to imagine life without your mom, but still, Silveria Jacobs (and many St. Martin women like her) was made stronger by the care and memories of her beloved mother, Nadia Bryson, whose heart was medically weak, but abundantly pulsing with love for her children, an electricity that gave her such a strong will she did "the job of a man," changing tires and driving big trucks despite the doctor's recommendation.

As told by Akilah Meulens

To many she’s known as Dr. Rhoda Arrindell, Rhoda Arrindell, or just Rhoda. To my brother and I, she’s “mumz” or “ma”.  If I absolutely had to choose just one word to describe her, it would be superwoman, because it best sums up all that she is. She is hard working, strong-minded, and graceful in everything she does.

On the rare occasions that she’s angry, she speaks in the same language/dialect she speaks when she’s happy, calm, etc. In “S’matin English”. She’s usually just happy with anything my brother and I do to express our appreciation/love for her. But the most I’ve seen her smile was when I was around 11, and he was 4 and we cooked or at least tried to cook something for her so she could come from work and get something to eat. Needless to say, whatever it was that we made was inedible to say the least, and she made us dinner, but it put such a smile on her face.