Debbie Folden

05/01/1953 — 05/30/2010

My mother was a fun loving person and never had medical issues. Her battle with melanoma started on Jan 30, 2009, when a mole that was removed came back as melanoma. She then had surgery to remove a deeper area of the site, in which they removed nodes in left side, which the cancer had already spread to. She began her chemo treatments the next day. Her next scan showed she had tumors on her lungs and liver. At that time they changed the chemo and upped the dosage.

She was such a strong lady always having faith she was going to be cured. The next scan showed her tumors in liver and lungs were gone … at which time we celebrated with a week in San Juan Islands. A week after being home from vacation, I heard a strange sound coming from my mother’s room. As I entered to check on her, she was having a seizure. I called 911, and she was rushed to the hospital. It was at this time we learned her cancer had spread to her brain, with the biggest tumor being on her brainstem.

She spent a week in the hospital and started brain radiation daily for 3 weeks (we never knew the chemo wasn’t preventing tumors in brain). She was doing so well. At her next doctor’s appointment, he pulled me to the side and informed me that my mother/best friend whom I did everything with had at the most 2 weeks to live and would need hospice. Those were by far the hardest words I had or will ever hear in my life.

It was 2 days later that my mother could no longer talk or communicate. I sat with her and took care of her, always staying strong for her. Three days later, my mother took her last breath at the age of 57. She passed away exactly 16 months from being diagnosed and 2 weeks from being able to watch her grandson graduate. Her first great-granddaughter was born 3 months after her passing. She was so excited to be a great-grandmother.

She will forever be missed, and a huge empty hole will forever be in all our hearts. Our family has vowed to help spread awareness of this deadly beast!

Carrie Kuhn, daughter