Newcomb mum Linda Burridge dies after aggressive stage 4 cancer battle
A Newcomb mum, who watched her daughter get married during her final days, has died after being diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.
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A Newcomb mum, who watched her daughter get married during her final days, has died after a short battle with stage 4 cancer.
Linda Burridge, 58, had back pain in early November last year, which progressively became worse.
“She would go to (Geelong hospital) emergency department on and off with back pain,” her daughter Kim Burridge said.
“The doctors kept telling her to go to physio, go to the chiropractor, do some hydrotherapy and she did all of that.
“She got CT scans and x-rays but they kept sending her home.”
In late November, Linda went to see her GP and underwent an MRI.
On November 30, her GP called to say Linda had a broken back.
“Mum was in so much pain, she was face down on the couch,” Kim said.
The mother of seven, who is also the full time carer of two of her children with disabilities, was then rushed to Geelong hospital via ambulance.
Linda had a follow up appointment with her GP that weekend, which her husband Paul Burridge went to on her behalf.
“The GP said to my dad that mum has cancer … they still don’t know where it originated or what kind of cancer it exactly was,” Kim said.
Further tests showed cancerous cells had spread to her lungs and other organs.
Linda underwent five rounds of radiation, which were unsuccessful and left her “very weak”.
On Christmas Day, she was moved from the hospital into palliative care at the McKellar Centre in North Geelong.
Paul has taken time off work as a garbage truck driver since November to care for his wife.
On January 14, Kim was told Linda may only have a few days left, so within 24 hours she planned her wedding so her mum could watch her get married.
She was planning to have the wedding in April, but instead tied the knot on January 16 at the McKellar Centre.
“It came together really nicely,” Kim said.
“(Mum) whispered to my aunty that is was the best wedding she had ever been to.”
Kim said her mum was declining quickly when she was moved into palliative care.
“She stopped speaking, she wasn’t eating,” she said.
“We didn’t want her to be suffering.”
Linda died on the morning of January 19.
A Go Fund Me page has been established to raise money for funeral costs and daily expenses.
As of Friday, more than $5000 has been raised.
“I’ll never have the words to express my gratitude,” Kim said.
“I really hope no one takes their mum for granted.”
To donate to the family, visit www.gofundme.com/help-with-funeral-expenses.
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Originally published as Newcomb mum Linda Burridge dies after aggressive stage 4 cancer battle
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