From tortured interns to world-renowned attendings, Grey’s Anatomy follows the professional and social lives of several characters. Aside from the obvious medical aspect of the show, there is drama, successful relationships, heartache, and plenty of unique situations. Fans cannot seem to get enough of the medical-drama, and lucky for them, the series does not seem to be coming to an end anytime soon. With all the couples, patients, and hospital staff, it can often feel like there is such an overwhelming amount of characters that it is hard to categorize them all.
One group that does stick out, though the individuals are often overshadowed by the craziness around them, are the recurring mothers. Sure, several leading characters have children that they juggle in between home and the operating table, but there are a dozen or so underrated moms that need to have their stories brought to light. Check out 10 underrated moms in Grey’s Anatomy who deserve more recognition than they originally received in the series.
10 Louise “Mama” O’Malley
Louise O’Malley is as sweet as they come. There is no doubt that she loved her “Georgie Boy” even when her affection became overbearing. Unlike her husband, Mama O’Malley had no problem hinting and not-so-subtly asking if George was romantically involved with his roommates or colleagues. After he and Callie got married, Mrs. O’Malley threw herself into knitting baby clothes and discussing their timeline of growing their own family.
With the other interns having rocky relationships with their own mothers, Mama O’Malley made every one of George’s friends feel loved and accepted in her family. Even after her own son’s death, Louise did what she could to remain involved in her former daughter-in-law’s life.
9 Susan Grey
After divorcing the cold and career-focused Ellis Grey, Thatcher, Meredith’s father, found Susan. Thatcher and Susan had two girls together, but after meeting Meredith in the hospital, Susan found room in her heart to love one more daughter. Meredith, coming from a less-than-loving household, did not accept Susan’s affection at first. She thought she was trying to replace her mom by helping out and trying to reconnect Meredith with her father.
After a stern talk between Meredith and Susan, the former realized Susan wanted her to just feel loved and realize she did not have to be alone. Unfortunately for Meredith, her psuedo-mom became a patient in the hospital, and her death shattered the already fragile relationship between Meredith and Thatcher.
8 Megan Hunt
Even with the insides of her abdomen being completely exposed, Megan Hunt could only think about one thing while in the hospital: her plan to get back to her son, Farouk. From the outside looking in, Megan’s relationship with her son looks like the purest form of love. When he was just a four-year-old Syrian refugee, Megan started looking after him. Shortly after, she informally adopted him.
When Megan was brought back to the states to undergo extreme surgery, Farouk was left behind due to not having proper documentation to leave Iraq. Nathan, Megan’s fiancé at the time, went to Iraq himself and told a few lies to get Farouk and his mother reunited. From the heartfelt hugs to the emotion in Megan’s voice, there is no doubt that Farouk is her whole world.
7 Carolyn Shepherd
Raising five children is not for the faint of heart, let alone when all of them, including the man she practically raised (Mark Sloan), grow up to be doctors. Carolyn Shepherd is a tough yet understanding woman with a military background, so when it comes to patience for her kids, she is willing to let her children learn from their own mistakes. Like all mothers, Carolyn has her good and bad qualities; she is quick to sniff out when someone is putting on a show, but she also holds onto past mistakes and judges accordingly.
Fans were happy about Carolyn’s approval of Meredith after she revealed her authentic self, but her standoffish feelings towards Amelia negatively impacted how her youngest daughter views her self-worth and relationships.
6 Sabine McNeil
Having a child in the hospital is a parent’s worst nightmare, but when all three of Sabine McNeil‘s children were admitted for cardiomyopathy, the mother was rightfully beside herself. She was fearful that something she did or something that was in their house made all of her children sick, but years later, after two of her three children successfully beat the disease, she was presented with data that proved otherwise.
While in the hospital, Sabine never left her children’s side. She had to frequently move rooms, deal with hospital staff, and accept a horrible reality from the doctors, but she was there every step of the way. Sabine’s children were never made to feel alone, and she did her best to stay strong for each of them.
5 Izzie Stevens
Izzie Stevens‘ motherhood was overshadowed by Alex Karev’s departure from Grey’s Anatomy. Upon learning that she had used their frozen embryos, successfully gave birth to twins, and had been raising their children for the last few years, Alex did not hesitate to leave the hospital and be with them. Though we do not see Izzie as a mom for very long, fans can tell she is a good one. Her children have more than they need from playrooms to farm animals. She had always wanted to give her children more than she had when growing up in a trailer park. With the smiles on their faces and immediate acceptance of Alex into their lives, it shows that she has been raising them right.
4 Diane Pierce
Though she may not have been the best partner to her former husband, Diane Pierce was always a supportive and loving mother to Maggie. She ordered for a mascot to perform a song in the hospital to congratulate Maggie on her new job, she helped around Meredith’s house while in town, and once she came clean to Maggie and told her about her inflammatory breast cancer, Diane did her best to keep a level head and be strong for her daughter.
Unlike her daughter, Diane was quick to befriend Maggie’s friends and make them feel loved. She cooked for them, cleaned up around the house, and even played with Meredith’s children. During her final days, Diane was still full of advice and encouraging words.
3 Helen Karev
For more than half of Grey’s Anatomy, it was extremely easy to write Helen Karev off as a horrible woman. Her schizophrenia did not make her a bad mom, but her refusal to take her meds while she constantly put her three children in harm’s way did not earn her any points. When Alex went to visit her with his fiancée, Jo, the two found that Helen had turned her life around. She was keeping to a schedule and doing her best to cope with her mental illness.
Initially angry with his mother for recovering after he no longer needed her, Alex was able to find it in his heart to forgive her for her past actions. She and Alex rekindled their relationship, and she was genuinely proud to see how far he came from the environment she created.
2 Jane “Mama” Burke
Jane Burke, also known as “Mama,” is a force no one wants to reckon with. In the beginning, Mama Burke did not approve of Cristina; she called her selfish and made snide remarks about her not being good enough for her son. However, after learning more about her future daughter-in-law during the wedding planning period, Mama started to accept Cristina in Preston’s life.
In the eyes of her son, Jane is a great mom. She wants the best for him, she is not afraid of uncomfortable conversations, and she holds her composure when having to perform tasks for him. Many fans felt she was too harsh towards Cristina in the beginning, but that changed after their final conversation where Mama Burke said she imagines they are more similar than they realize.
1 Evelyn Hunt
Though she rarely has the spotlight when on-screen, except when Owen discovered she was having a relationship with a much younger man, Evelyn Hunt is an incredible mother. She attended all of Owens weddings (one of which she helped set up and take down without it even taking place), and she was always present for Megan’s needs in the hospital. When Amelia needed “mom advice,” she turned to her mother-in-law, Evelyn, for help. Coming from a military background, Evelyn does not accept the crazy back-and-forth antics and drama that her son tends to find himself in. Instead, she becomes the voice of reason to bring him, and those who need it, back to reality.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
