HOUSTON – It's an honor Mary Sullivan never wanted but one she is more than grateful to accept.
Sullivan will attend President Obama's State of the Union address Tuesday as the guest of Texas congressman Pete Olson. She'll be there to honor the life of her daughter firefighter Anne Sullivan -- one of four firefighters killed in the Southwest Inn Fire in May of 2013.
"The longer it's been since I've actually seen her and talked to her and heard her laugh and seen her smile the more difficult it is at times," says Sullivan. "But I do feel that she is a presence."
Sullivan says the visit will be bittersweet. The last time she was in the U.S. Capitol was about five years ago with Anne and her other daughter Kate. Since Anne's death she's created a foundation that supports aspiring female firefighters.
"As hard as it was to choose a foundation that would actually encourage other women to do something that of course took my daughter's life," says Sullivan. "I realized that's what Anne would want."
Sullivan plans to present lawmakers with a coin designed by Anne's sister. One side has an image of Anne and represents the foundation. Tuesday night Mary Sullivan will be representing her daughter on the national stage.
"That's my biggest goal, is to make her proud," she says. "If I do that then I feel like it'll be a very successful experience."
Sullivan says she plans to wear one of her daughter's dresses Tuesday night to mark the occasion.