In Memory of Burt Oberg

It all began on July 17th, 2020 when Burt was having lunch with his wife Shirley and their sister-in-law Lynn at a restaurant. Burt had been fighting Glioblastoma (brain cancer) for several months and was using a treatment called Optune that is used to try and slow the cancer down. 

If you know Burt, he kept himself fit, had a big smile when he would greet you, a goofy joke (that he would laugh at the hardest),  and an all-around good attitude toward life. He and Shirley loved south Florida and the time they had lived there. So many new friends while also having their boys, grandsons and so much family to visit when they came back to Seattle. But battling this cancer really took a toll on Burt’s physical and mental health. That joy Burt had was fading away too fast. He became quiet around people because he was having a hard time putting his thoughts into words. 

Then, during lunch one day a stranger, Leah, 30-year-old women, walked up to him and asked him if he had Glioblastoma? Leah had recognized the Optune treatment bag he had to carry around. Burt had told her that he had "something in his head" because let's face it, that's not an easy cancer to remember the name of under the best of circumstances. Leah commented back that she did too and introduced herself gently to Burt to be sure he was receptive to a stranger coming up and talking to him. This is a pretty rare cancer so the chance that the two of them with the same cancer, using the same treatment, would be having lunch at the same place was very slim. Some of us call it a miracle. Burt immediately perked up! He had found a new and instant connection to someone going through the same thing he had. The two of them talked and laughed and by the time they were leaving, they had agreed that they all should get together to see each other again. He even wanted a picture taken together...

Advancing to Leah's story. Leah is a young woman who has been fighting the same battle as Burt for two years. She and her partner Kim had to move north of  Seattle where they could have the best care for Leah and be close to her family, but that also meant that Kim had to move away from family. Leah is a Special Education teacher who learned early on in her cancer that she wouldn't be going back to the job she loved so much. She adored these kids, and this was another devastation. Now, Leah is planning her wedding in September and has something really big in her life to look forward to. Leah has been fighting the fight at a much too young age but does it with the same grace and compassion she had shown to Burt that day.

Shirley has decided to bless Leah as the recipient of Burt's memorial. She knows that Burt would be so honored to have his friends and family donate to help Leah and Kim with their future plans and give them some relief financially through this time.

There is no cure for this cancer as of today, only trials of different treatments, some work for a while and some don't but for now, comfort and quality of life is the main goal for these patients. Please consider donating to help Leah have a better quality of life.