Christine Balch loved animals. (This may well be the understatement of the year.) Sadly, she passed November 1, 2025. I have no doubt that she made her way to the Rainbow Bridge, where the commotion must have been epic as she reunited with the animals she loved. (It is said that when our pets die they go to the "Rainbow Bridge," where their spirits wait for their owners' arrival. Google it for more info.)

Let's honor her by helping animals. Everything raised by this GoFundMe will be donated to local animal rescue organizations.

I am her husband, Dave, who watched in amazement as she bravely confronted breast cancer for over 23 years. We watched it spread to her bones, then to her brain, undergoing 2 rounds of chemotherapy, 4 rounds of radiation, and numerous surgeries (frankly, I lost count of the surgeries); approximately 476 medical appointments in all.

Here's an illustration of her spirit and attitude. At the beginning, we held a hat party for her at which she was given a hand-made beautiful and outrageous hat covered with artificial fruit. She decided to have fun with it and wore it to Costco, the supermarket, the doctor's office, parties, and so on. One of her doctors shook his head in amazement, saying "I can't believe you wear that thing in public!"

Whole-brain radiation successfully treated the brain tumors, but caused irreparable brain damage that ultimately left her a quadriplegic. It was this gradual decline over 15 years that finally took her.

I am asking, in lieu of flowers or anything else, that you honor her spirit and bravery by supporting a fund that will help the animals that defined her.

I have set an arbitrary date of December 25, 2025 to close this fund.