She was transferred to Barnes Jewish Hospital in St Louis, MO, where we were told she had Stage IV metastatic mucosal melanoma, which was a very RARE melanoma. Since there is no treatment for this kind of cancer, she was then put on trial drugs. None of the trial drugs or chemo worked, and her cancer progressively got worse. The cancer grew rapidly, and she became very sick by February 2011.

In March 2011, she had surgery to remove two very large masses on her adrenal glands that were causing her major pain. She wasn’t able to walk. This surgery was supposed to make her feel better. Within 2 weeks, my mother was sent to the ER because she was in kidney failure due to the lack of steroids her body was producing. When she arrived at the ER in Lincoln, she was transferred to St Louis again to be seen by her oncology team. While in St Louis, my mother had ups and downs, and within a week and a half she passed away from her body shutting down.

My mother passed away on April 12, 2011, 2 weeks prior to my first daughter being born and her first grandchild. She was convinced she would hold her granddaughter, so this was very hard for me. My mother was such a strong-willed person who was convinced that she would beat this cancer regardless of what the doctors were saying.

She is loved and missed by many!

Cyra Buttell, daughter