Funds will also provide free/reduced clinical breast cancer screenings to those with financial burden who work or live in Randolph County. Christine Marie Burger was the oldest sibling raised in a small farming community alongside four brothers and two sisters in Philadelphia, Missouri. She graduated from Marion County with her lifelong friend Nita Barnard. At the age of twenty-two she moved to Sh
elbina, Missouri and started her family of three kids. She worked as a stay at home mother until she moved to Moberly in 1985. In just a matter of a few months she built an empire of friends working in the community while flashing her vibrant, infectious smile. In 1991, Chris and Kevin joined unions in Las Vegas, Nevada and became a happily married couple. Five years passed and they welcomed their bundle of joy, Jacob Lee, who was the center of their new world. Years passed with many great memories made. We all thought she was invincible and never expected the worst. In late 2011, she began to notice some pain. She immediately went to have an x-ray done to find out what was going on. They confirmed her worst nightmare. They found a lump on her breast and she was diagnosed with Stage 2 Breast Cancer that had spread into two of her lymph nodes. She underwent surgery and had the lymph nodes removed along with a lumpectomy removing her mass. During the beginning of 2012 she began with treatment. Since she was so young and healthy the doctor decided to be very aggressive with her chemotherapy and radiation given. She started eighteen weeks of chemotherapy and after a short break started forty treatments of radiation. Mom was very optimistic about her therapy, but sad that she would not feel well enough to watch her grandchildren as much as she had planned. We all thought she was such a trooper through her treatment. Months went by and we thought she was in the clear. She went to her scheduled checkups and they even checked her more frequently than protocol. In October of 2012, she had her blood test as usual and everything checked out good. In November, her surgeon removed her portacath. She had been complaining that her left shoulder was hurting but when she asked about it they said she was over compensating with that arm since she had lymphedema in her right arm. Right after New Years she started to have a lot more pain around her rib cage and was short of breath with usual activities. She was not sleeping well and had commented that if she continued feeling so bad then she wanted to be admitted to the hospital, which was completely out of her character. On January 2nd, 2013, I took Mom to get blood work done and X-rays to find out what was going on. They immediately told us to admit her to the hospital because her white blood count was very low and her alkaline phosphatase levels were the highest the doctor had ever seen in a patient. We took her to Boone Hospital where she underwent several surgeries and numerous tests to find out exactly what was going on. The morning of January 4th, 2013 we got the news that changed the lives of our entire family. Mom was diagnosed with Stage 4 Metastatic Breast Cancer that had spread past her lymph nodes and into her liver and also several spots on her bones. Her oncologist explained that with therapy she could have a longer life, but ultimately it would be cut shorter than expected and we were all devastated. She remained in the hospital and checked out in time to attend her soon to be grandson’s baby shower on January 13th, 2013. Mom started chemotherapy once again during her stay in the hospital and continued weekly treatments until they could find a drug that would help slow down the progression. While at home we were all positive that she would undergo treatment and keep fighting without a doubt. As the days went on we began to see she was quickly declining and her vitals were not where they should have been. On January 21st, 2013, she was readmitted to Boone Hospital where she once again underwent more testing. Her oncologist then delivered the news that she did not expect her to make it through the night. Her last few hours were some of the longest, but something that none of us would have taken back. If I looked back a year ago I would have never imagined that I would lose my mom in a matter of eighteen days and that it would be completely out of my control. We were able to say our final goodbyes and know that she was no longer in pain and that our loved ones that had already gone would take great care of her. I will admit that I was one to say all the comforting things that you say to those you care about when a loved one has passed, but when it is your own mom nothing is comforting and nothing makes sense to why God took this wonderful mother and wife from us too quickly, and at such a young age. Every day I wake up and think it is just a bad dream and realize that it is now my reality and I somehow have to get though the day without her. She was our ROCK!! She had the smile of an Angel that could light up any room she walked into. Not only was she a wife and a mother, but she was our mother and the best! Ashley Hardwick
Co-Founder of the Chris Burger Cancer Foundation
