Liza Burke, the University of Georgia senior who was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor after a spring break trip to Mexico, died early Friday morning.
“It is with both relief and belief that I share Liza’s passing at around 2:20 (a.m.),” her mother, Laura McKeithen, wrote in the family’s online care journal.
She said two celebrations of Burke’s life were already being planned: one organized by friends in Athens, and another at a later date in her hometown of Asheville, North Carolina.
Burke’s family watched her favorite movie, “Interstellar,” before going to bed Thursday night, according to McKeithen. Her brother went to sleep next to her and soon after, “Liza took a final breath, sighed and transitioned into the next realm,” McKeithen wrote.
Burke fell ill March 10 while enjoying her trip with a group of friends. She complained of a headache during breakfast and went back to her room to rest. Her friends later found her there and they couldn’t wake her, family friend Jennifer Ritter wrote on a GoFundMe page. The family was told at the time that Burke suffered a brain hemorrhage.
Burke spent three nights in a hospital in Cabo San Lucas. She was later admitted to the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, where Burke’s mother lives, Ritter said.
She was eventually diagnosed with a grade 4 tumor near her brain stem, McKeithen said. The tumor was inoperable due to its location.
Burke underwent nearly a month of radiation before the family met with doctors and decided to stop her treatment because she wasn’t responding to it.
“We learned today that the lethargy associated with radiation only increases with time, so we’ll now really be clinging to Liza’s response moments,” McKeithen wrote in early April.
Family and friends have surrounded Burke in her final days, hoping to bring her comfort and happiness.
“Another beautiful day as Liza brought our little crew closer together, enabling us to each play a role in her care,” her mother wrote Wednesday. “We took turns repositioning, preparing and delivering meds, suctioning, and telling stories, and in response Liza shared her love through squints and facial gestures.”
McKeithen said family and friends plan to set up an educational fund at the Foundation of the Carolinas in Burke’s name. Money will be directed to an endowment at UGA, as well as to students in Mexico once taught by Burke.
On Thursday night, McKeithen shared a final inspirational message drawn from Burke’s life.
“As we pray for Liza tonight, a quote from the movie (also a poem) that seems to reflect Liza’s enduring spirit: ‘Do not go gentle into that good night.’ Peace to you, Liza, my love!” McKeithen wrote.
