Colleen's Cancer- 6 Months to Dream
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This is the story about my sister Colleen and her journey with cancer.
In August 2012, days after her wedding she was rushed to the hospital with severe pain in her abdomen. After weeks of testing she was diagnosed at the age of 24 with a very aggressive stage 4 Sarcoma cancer. After a total hysterectomy and 6 months of chemotherapy she beat the odds and went into remission. Through the years they discovered multiple growths on her lungs and continued to monitor these suspicious spots. In November 2015, they decided to remove one of the bigger growths, the results showed it was the same Sarcoma. At that time nothing more could be done but to monitor the remaining spots as they were not large enough to detect on a PET CT whether or not they were cancerous.
One week ago, after more testing Colleen and her family were told that the spots are now actively growing and unfortunately her cancer is terminal. Although the doctors can not accurately predict how much time she has left, they have estimated 6 months. The only treatment available to her is chemotherapy with a very low chance of only extending her life for a few extra months. The treatment will make her extremely sick and drastically reduce the quality of life for her remaining months. Colleen has decided not to do the treatment, she wants to spend time with family and friends working on her bucket list.
Throughout all of this, colleen has continued to stay positive and has had many blessings along the way. They were blessed with the adoption of their beautiful baby girl Aubrey in 2014. As you all know, life does not stop when you become ill and bills continue to pile up. As you can imagine Colleen and her husband are unable to work at this difficult time. I am creating this page so my sister doesn't have to stress or worry. I am also hoping to raise money so she is able to live out her dreams of travel and making lasting memories with her beautiful family.
We appreciate all the help and support and for those who are unable to donate, your prayers are equally valuable.
In August 2012, days after her wedding she was rushed to the hospital with severe pain in her abdomen. After weeks of testing she was diagnosed at the age of 24 with a very aggressive stage 4 Sarcoma cancer. After a total hysterectomy and 6 months of chemotherapy she beat the odds and went into remission. Through the years they discovered multiple growths on her lungs and continued to monitor these suspicious spots. In November 2015, they decided to remove one of the bigger growths, the results showed it was the same Sarcoma. At that time nothing more could be done but to monitor the remaining spots as they were not large enough to detect on a PET CT whether or not they were cancerous.
One week ago, after more testing Colleen and her family were told that the spots are now actively growing and unfortunately her cancer is terminal. Although the doctors can not accurately predict how much time she has left, they have estimated 6 months. The only treatment available to her is chemotherapy with a very low chance of only extending her life for a few extra months. The treatment will make her extremely sick and drastically reduce the quality of life for her remaining months. Colleen has decided not to do the treatment, she wants to spend time with family and friends working on her bucket list.
Throughout all of this, colleen has continued to stay positive and has had many blessings along the way. They were blessed with the adoption of their beautiful baby girl Aubrey in 2014. As you all know, life does not stop when you become ill and bills continue to pile up. As you can imagine Colleen and her husband are unable to work at this difficult time. I am creating this page so my sister doesn't have to stress or worry. I am also hoping to raise money so she is able to live out her dreams of travel and making lasting memories with her beautiful family.
We appreciate all the help and support and for those who are unable to donate, your prayers are equally valuable.
Organizer and beneficiary
Caitlin Malberg
Organizer
Saskatoon, SK
Colleen Burris
Beneficiary
