Moms Know Best: Bertha's mom, Gemima

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My daughter Bertha was a super cheerful, kind, grateful girl and a very good student. She liked to play basketball, too. In addition, she sang and played some musical instruments, but her favorite was the guitar. Unfortunately, in 2012, at the age of 13, she was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, a cancerous tumor that typically starts in the bone. She underwent treatment at a hospital near our home in Georgia. 

She was doing well, but at the age of 16, she relapsed. The doctors gave us a terrible prognosis. The oncologist told us that Bertha's case had been referred to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital® in Memphis, Tennessee. I answered that it was Bertha's decision. Bertha didn't think twice and said she was going to fight as much as she could. 

Bertha began treatment at St. Jude, a long and painful process. But when she could, Bertha went about her normal life like any young woman her age. She finished high school, worked and started classes at the university. She also attended demonstrations on issues important to her, crutches in hand.

Bertha passed away on Father's Day in 2022. She was 23. She waited for the moment when she was surrounded by the ones who loved her the most and at the same time made sure that I was not alone. 

To this day, I thank God for leading us to St. Jude. I thank St. Jude infinitely for all the attention they gave my daughter and for allowing me to spend more years with her. It wasn't just to have more years with her — it was an opportunity to grow as a family. The opportunity to enjoy Bertha more, to let her know how much we loved her, to create many memories together and to let her know how proud we are of her.

I also learned a lot from my Bertha. And I continue to do so: I learned to be strong, to be strong despite the pain. I learned to be strong while having a great void in my heart because of her absence. I learned to be strong with her memories. It is her memory that makes me strong. 

I learned to worry a little less about myself and worry a little more about others, because no matter how difficult the situation is, there is always someone else who is having a worse time. We should learn to care about living one day at a time as she lived. She said: "Worry about doing good today because tomorrow we don't know what will happen."

I end by saying that Bertha will forever be a star in the sky that will never fade.