In Loving Memory of Cathy Groth
Donation protected
What you'll read below is the tragic story of the loss of a beloved wife, mother, and best friend -- Cathy Groth. My name is Hayley Bueno. My friend Christie, her sister Katie, and their dad Curt lost Cathy, the glue that held their family together, exactly one week ago today... April 24th, 2016.
Cathy originally found out she had breast cancer at age 39. What a traumatic experience for a mom, let alone a mom to a one year-old baby and an eight year-old daughter. Christie, at the time, was in bed on a weekend morning cuddling with her mom when Cathy discovered the lump.
Twelve years had passed being cancer-free, and doctors will always say, "once you hit the ten year mark, there's nothing to worry about." Well, that didn't happen for Cathy. In October 2012, she received news that she had stage IV metastatic breast cancer -- the most vicious type of cancer that spreads to bones, nodes, and organs. It was a huge shock to the family.
Christie came home from college during her first quarter at UCLA in 2012 to be with her mom. Their immediate family of four took a trip to Hawaii, Cathy's favorite place in the world. Little did they know, that would be their last trip to Hawaii with this incredible woman.
Despite the news, Cathy never stopped fighting. Things were looking promising for Cathy for a couple of years, as she transformed into a complete health nut and exercise fiend. Her family was so proud of her for her weight loss achievements, and her happiness was just so infectious. She really inspired everyone.
In the summer of 2015, things started to really go downhill as Cathy's plan to use all-natural treatments and remedies weren't providing enough fuel to kill the cancer cells. This Naturopathic regimen turned out to be quite effective for some time, but her oncologist told her that if she didn't get on chemo right away, she would not live much longer. The family was scared. They went the chemo route, against their will and Cathy's, as she never wanted to go down that path due to such toxicity entering her body. She knew the side effects would limit her joy and quality of life significantly.
Cathy stayed on chemo for roughly one year, but once cancer started infiltrating her liver, she and her immediate family knew the road would get bumpy. She was on cannabis oil and other therapies and treatments recommended to her by her naturopathic doctor, but those along with the chemo finally could not keep her body at bay.
The Groth family enjoyed Christmas 2015 at their house in Livermore with Cathy's extended family. Thanksgiving was just with the four of them that year. Cathy tried to remain her normal self (dancing, singing, laughing, smiling), but it was evident she didn't feel well at all throughout the holidays. What a trooper she was -- never complaining and always remaining a true fighter. She was consistently loving, caring, and thoughtful .
Although the family has been preparing for quite some time, never did they realize Cathy's passing was going to happen so soon. Doctors told them they had 3-5 years on average, and she was here for 3 and 1/2.
The money would fund the costs of cremation and other fees at the mortuary. In addition, it would help pay for a Celebration of Life being held on May 21st, 2016. This includes renting out the venue, catering costs, flowers, linens, and other accessories that will make this tribute to Cathy just what she would've wanted.
The Groth family is emotionally, psychologically, and physically exhausted. To keep Cathy alive, they had to endure financial strain of large medical bills out of pocket over the course of the last two years years to pay for all of Cathy's medical expenses. I know how thankful Curt, Christie, and Katie would be to get some assistance.
Thank you for all of your prayers, love, and support for their amazing family.
Cathy originally found out she had breast cancer at age 39. What a traumatic experience for a mom, let alone a mom to a one year-old baby and an eight year-old daughter. Christie, at the time, was in bed on a weekend morning cuddling with her mom when Cathy discovered the lump.
Twelve years had passed being cancer-free, and doctors will always say, "once you hit the ten year mark, there's nothing to worry about." Well, that didn't happen for Cathy. In October 2012, she received news that she had stage IV metastatic breast cancer -- the most vicious type of cancer that spreads to bones, nodes, and organs. It was a huge shock to the family.
Christie came home from college during her first quarter at UCLA in 2012 to be with her mom. Their immediate family of four took a trip to Hawaii, Cathy's favorite place in the world. Little did they know, that would be their last trip to Hawaii with this incredible woman.
Despite the news, Cathy never stopped fighting. Things were looking promising for Cathy for a couple of years, as she transformed into a complete health nut and exercise fiend. Her family was so proud of her for her weight loss achievements, and her happiness was just so infectious. She really inspired everyone.
In the summer of 2015, things started to really go downhill as Cathy's plan to use all-natural treatments and remedies weren't providing enough fuel to kill the cancer cells. This Naturopathic regimen turned out to be quite effective for some time, but her oncologist told her that if she didn't get on chemo right away, she would not live much longer. The family was scared. They went the chemo route, against their will and Cathy's, as she never wanted to go down that path due to such toxicity entering her body. She knew the side effects would limit her joy and quality of life significantly.
Cathy stayed on chemo for roughly one year, but once cancer started infiltrating her liver, she and her immediate family knew the road would get bumpy. She was on cannabis oil and other therapies and treatments recommended to her by her naturopathic doctor, but those along with the chemo finally could not keep her body at bay.
The Groth family enjoyed Christmas 2015 at their house in Livermore with Cathy's extended family. Thanksgiving was just with the four of them that year. Cathy tried to remain her normal self (dancing, singing, laughing, smiling), but it was evident she didn't feel well at all throughout the holidays. What a trooper she was -- never complaining and always remaining a true fighter. She was consistently loving, caring, and thoughtful .
Although the family has been preparing for quite some time, never did they realize Cathy's passing was going to happen so soon. Doctors told them they had 3-5 years on average, and she was here for 3 and 1/2.
The money would fund the costs of cremation and other fees at the mortuary. In addition, it would help pay for a Celebration of Life being held on May 21st, 2016. This includes renting out the venue, catering costs, flowers, linens, and other accessories that will make this tribute to Cathy just what she would've wanted.
The Groth family is emotionally, psychologically, and physically exhausted. To keep Cathy alive, they had to endure financial strain of large medical bills out of pocket over the course of the last two years years to pay for all of Cathy's medical expenses. I know how thankful Curt, Christie, and Katie would be to get some assistance.
Thank you for all of your prayers, love, and support for their amazing family.
Organiser and beneficiary
Hayley Bueno
Organiser
Livermore, CA
Christie Lee
Beneficiary