Gloria Borges (1981-2014)

[throatybeard]

I've never read this thread before, because I couldn't bear to, and I apologize for that.

So, class of 2004, diagnosed in 2010...how insanely unfair...how does a 28 year-old...a woman at that (I think guys are at much worse risk of colorectal cancer)...how does...how?

My wife's friend/co-worker has some weird cancer that started in...it's not her salivary gland but it's near there. It starts with "pi" but it's not pituitary, pitoid, something like that. I'm not an oncologist and I hate it when people try to tell me my job, but, but, given everything I've ever heard about cancer and all the friends of mine who have died from cancer and given how you just sort of aggregate your experience...it sounds like this woman has not had very good care. They even admitted that they mis-read a scan back in January, when they told her she had a clean bill of health. But then they looked at it again later and they were like, you've got maybe a 6-month median survival type situation here. (It's been eight months). They didn't tell her this till July. It's all up in her lungs and lymph nodes. She just turned 34. Never-smoker. She has beat the odds so far but is not expected to survive the school year now.

To read the craziest version of this ever, Google "Jill Costello Sports Illustrated."

Sometimes, I'll be in a public place. And I think about cancer and heart disease. And I look at all the people. And I'm amazed that anyone is alive.

[blazindw]

I'm extremely sad to report that Gloria passed away this morning. She was a great friend and truly an inspiration to me and everyone that she came across. The world just lost one of its warriors, but her spirit lives on through the Wunderglo Foundation. Rest in peace, Glo.

[Tripping William]

Also very sad to hear this news. I take some measure of comfort in the thought that Gloria Borges and Bill Krzyzewski might be swapping Duke hoops stories right about now. May her family find peace, and may cancer's time be up very, very soon.

[Mike Corey]

As Donald has shared, this morning dealt terrible news. I wrote a tribute to Gloria elsewhere that I'd like to share here:

~

Most extraordinary lives--the lives that require historians to capture the litany of good deeds done, of other lives affected, of joys experienced, of challenges battled, of people loved--come to their conclusion after many decades. It is no less a tragedy to die old than to die young, but it angers and saddens us more when people leave this world too soon. They had so much more to do, so much more to see. And we will miss those opportunities with them.

My extraordinary classmate and friend Gloria Borges died this morning after amassing an exhaustive record of good deeds done, of achievements earned, of joys experienced, of people loved. A native of Los Angeles, Gloria knew at age 8 that she wanted to attend Duke University. Not only was she accepted ten years later, but she graduated as the president of her class, and she was so proud to have presided over a literary festival in which she brought one of her idols to campus, Joyce Carol Oates.

Upon graduating, she enrolled at Stanford Law School, where she presided over the Journal of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties as its editor in chief. She married the love of her life, Will Palmeri, an extraordinary human being in his own right, and she settled into legal practice in her hometown at the prestigious law firm of O'Melveny & Myers.

In the fall of 2010, she was diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer. She fought the disease harder than cancer has ever been fought. 62 rounds of chemotherapy. Radiation. Multiple surgeries. A rigorous nutritional and exercise regimen. She was supposed to live a year past her diagnosis, and lived until today.

The strength to fight this way came from Gloria's unique constitution, and took hold at the onset of this disease. To most, Gloria's diagnosis would have been devastating news. To Gloria? In her own words, as expressed on her very first blog post:

"From the first moment I found out the news that I had been diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer -- news delivered to me post-surgery by my parents and hubby -- I felt a charge in me. An excitement, if you will. You see, dear readers -- and you probably know this already -- I love a good challenge. And I love achieving goals, especially huge, sometimes improbable ones. The challenge is throughly beating down cancer, and the goal is not only survival, but survival with gusto. I am unwaveringly confident that I will succeed, not just because of my inner strength and toughness, but because of the love and support of family and friends -- the wonderful people reading this very blog entry. Your positivity and belief in my ability to overcome any challenge will buoy me on those days when my spirits need a lift. Together, we will win."

You do not beat cancer by merely surviving. You beat cancer by living while fighting. That would be how most people beat the disease. Gloria, of course, did more. After establishing her blog, where she chronicled not only her fight, but how she was carrying on and enjoying life along the way, she established The Wunder Project and the Wunderglo Foundation, with which she brought together some of the finest medical minds in the world with a single goal of beating colon cancer forever. She became an international advocate for combating this disease, but just as importantly, became a source of strength for individuals around the world who found her on the internet, or saw an article about her in the paper. And so many reached out to her for counsel, and to each, she offered her full-throated and fully informed take on how to tackle this disease.

Beyond service to others, Gloria also squeezed every last drop out of life that she could. She traveled across the country and saw all the things the rest of us continue to put off for another day. She celebrated the days that became a little more momentous to her--her birthdays, her cancer-beating-anniversaries--as well as the special days of loved ones. She became an inspiration to anyone and everyone who crossed her path, from strangers on the Internet who followed her blog, to old friends and new friends, to Mike Krzyzewksi, and most recently, to the CEO of Starbucks. On this morning of her passing, that inspiration must set in motion something more--Gloria must be the inspiration to live the way she did. We will lack her flair and her wit, and we will miss her sorely, but we will do our best to make you proud and carry on your legacy, a legacy you so graciously shared with so many across the country.

So after giving to this world so much, Gloria may finally rest. We will carry on with the work Gloria began, and try and fail to live up to the example she set every day of her 32 years of life. This woman was not defined by cancer, but by the zeal she carried with her every day. No person was stronger, no person was more determined, no person was more positive. Paired with her smarts, her compassion, her humanity, her unswerving ethics, Gloria was inimitable in every way. She loved music, and dancing, and literature, and Duke basketball; she loved to travel, and be challenged; she loved politics, and loved debate, and loved winning (and always did); she loved her city, her law firm, and the life she was leading despite the unfairness of the cancer that came upon her. And most of all, she loved her friends and her family, particularly her father, her mother, and her dear husband Will.

Be with God, Gloria, and be at peace. This world, and all of us in it, are so much better because of you. Thank you for all that you are and always will be.

[wilson]

Like Mike and Donald, I was in Gloria's class at Duke. They knew her much better than I did, but I am proud and honored to call her a classmate, and I have followed her progress and her battle through most of her fight.
I for one would love it if we could figure out a DBR fundraiser for her foundation, The Wunder Project, where every single dollar raised goes toward curing colon cancer.

[Indoor66]

As Donald has shared, this morning dealt terrible news. I wrote a tribute to Gloria elsewhere that I'd like to share here:

~

Most extraordinary lives--the lives that require historians to capture the litany of good deeds done, of other lives affected, of joys experienced, of challenges battled, of people loved--come to their conclusion after many decades. It is no less a tragedy to die old than to die young, but it angers and saddens us more when people leave this world too soon. They had so much more to do, so much more to see. And we will miss those opportunities with them.

My extraordinary classmate and friend Gloria Borges died this morning after amassing an exhaustive record of good deeds done, of achievements earned, of joys experienced, of people loved. A native of Los Angeles, Gloria knew at age 8 that she wanted to attend Duke University. Not only was she accepted ten years later, but she graduated as the president of her class, and she was so proud to have presided over a literary festival in which she brought one of her idols to campus, Joyce Carol Oates.

Upon graduating, she enrolled at Stanford Law School, where she presided over the Journal of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties as its editor in chief. She married the love of her life, Will Palmeri, an extraordinary human being in his own right, and she settled into legal practice in her hometown at the prestigious law firm of O'Melveny & Myers.

In the fall of 2010, she was diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer. She fought the disease harder than cancer has ever been fought. 62 rounds of chemotherapy. Radiation. Multiple surgeries. A rigorous nutritional and exercise regimen. She was supposed to live a year past her diagnosis, and lived until today.

The strength to fight this way came from Gloria's unique constitution, and took hold at the onset of this disease. To most, Gloria's diagnosis would have been devastating news. To Gloria? In her own words, as expressed on her very first blog post:


You do not beat cancer by merely surviving. You beat cancer by living while fighting. That would be how most people beat the disease. Gloria, of course, did more. After establishing her blog, where she chronicled not only her fight, but how she was carrying on and enjoying life along the way, she established The Wunder Project and the Wunderglo Foundation, with which she brought together some of the finest medical minds in the world with a single goal of beating colon cancer forever. She became an international advocate for combating this disease, but just as importantly, became a source of strength for individuals around the world who found her on the internet, or saw an article about her in the paper. And so many reached out to her for counsel, and to each, she offered her full-throated and fully informed take on how to tackle this disease.

Beyond service to others, Gloria also squeezed every last drop out of life that she could. She traveled across the country and saw all the things the rest of us continue to put off for another day. She celebrated the days that became a little more momentous to her--her birthdays, her cancer-beating-anniversaries--as well as the special days of loved ones. She became an inspiration to anyone and everyone who crossed her path, from strangers on the Internet who followed her blog, to old friends and new friends, to Mike Krzyzewksi, and most recently, to the CEO of Starbucks. On this morning of her passing, that inspiration must set in motion something more--Gloria must be the inspiration to live the way she did. We will lack her flair and her wit, and we will miss her sorely, but we will do our best to make you proud and carry on your legacy, a legacy you so graciously shared with so many across the country.

So after giving to this world so much, Gloria may finally rest. We will carry on with the work Gloria began, and try and fail to live up to the example she set every day of her 32 years of life. This woman was not defined by cancer, but by the zeal she carried with her every day. No person was stronger, no person was more determined, no person was more positive. Paired with her smarts, her compassion, her humanity, her unswerving ethics, Gloria was inimitable in every way. She loved music, and dancing, and literature, and Duke basketball; she loved to travel, and be challenged; she loved politics, and loved debate, and loved winning (and always did); she loved her city, her law firm, and the life she was leading despite the unfairness of the cancer that came upon her. And most of all, she loved her friends and her family, particularly her father, her mother, and her dear husband Will.

Be with God, Gloria, and be at peace. This world, and all of us in it, are so much better because of you. Thank you for all that you are and always will be.

I posted this link in the thread about K's brother. It seems appropriate here. My heart goes out for Gloria and her family... Gloria, your story saddens me and thrills me at the same time. Rest with your Father - and Thank You. I am better for having shared just a little of your journey.

[Mike Corey]

One last post in this thread.

Dear Gloria was laid to rest on Saturday in Los Angeles. Her life was celebrated at a memorial service prior to her funeral and intermnet, and I thought it fitting to share with this community that DBR's wonderful post memorializing her life was not only reprinted in the memorial's program, it was read aloud to all in attendance at the request of Gloria's family.

In addition to personal reflections shared by some of Gloria's many friends, Coach Krzyzewski recorded a personal message that was played at the memorial. It was one of many tearjerking moments, but one that also brought joy to everyone there to honor Gloria.

If you're just now learning about Gloria, I would encourage you to learn about her and her foundation's audacious "Wunder Project", the latter of which is intended to end colon cancer altogether, and is very near one of Gloria's goals: raising its first million dollars. Let's get it over the top.

[Mike Corey]

Good afternoon, all.

This weekend will be the 10th Reunion for Gloria's graduating class at Duke. SOme special events are planned that I wanted to share with you all, and to encourage you all to attend.

This Saturday, April 12th from 1-3 PM in Gross Hall (formerly Gross Chem), The WunderGlo Foundation will present a screening of the film, The Wunder Project, followed by a Q&A session with Gloria's beloved and brilliant doctor, Heinz Josef Lenz. A memorial tribute to Gloria will follow immediately after the Q&A.

And on Sunday, The Wunderglo Foundation will be hosting the third annual "Go to Hell, Cancer" 3-on-3 basketball tournament at Brodie Rec Center on Duke's East Campus. If you're interested in entering a team with your classmates and/or other friends, register here: http://tinyurl.com/wunderglo and join our Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/543039225811570/

Please let us know if you have any questions, and please help us spread the word!

[blazindw]

Good afternoon, all.

This weekend will be the 10th Reunion for Gloria's graduating class at Duke. SOme special events are planned that I wanted to share with you all, and to encourage you all to attend.

This Saturday, April 12th from 1-3 PM in Gross Hall (formerly Gross Chem), The WunderGlo Foundation will present a screening of the film, The Wunder Project, followed by a Q&A session with Gloria's beloved and brilliant doctor, Heinz Josef Lenz. A memorial tribute to Gloria will follow immediately after the Q&A.

And on Sunday, The Wunderglo Foundation will be hosting the third annual "Go to Hell, Cancer" 3-on-3 basketball tournament at Brodie Rec Center on Duke's East Campus. If you're interested in entering a team with your classmates and/or other friends, register here: http://tinyurl.com/wunderglo and join our Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/543039225811570/

Please let us know if you have any questions, and please help us spread the word!

Thanks for posting this Mike. I've been working on all 3 for a couple months now, but some personal things have got in the way and pushed promoting it here to the backburner. I highly encourage any of you who are around Durham this weekend to check out all 3 events!

[Mike Corey]

Today marks four months since Gloria's passing. Her family and foundation are publishing the full video of the memorial accordingly.

To those of you wishing to learn more about Gloria, here is a tremendous, often funny, often gut-wrenching opportunity to do so. The memorial included a number of touching tributes from Gloria's friends, from her lawfirm's managing partner, and even from her husband, Will. There are also some separate video tributes that bring Gloria to life a little more than mere words can.

There are also some DBR-specific moments: The statement DBR so generously posted upon Gloria's passing is read aloud during this celebration of Gloria's life (starting around 16:45 in), and speeches are given by Donald Wine (1:16:10 minutes in), me (32:00 minutes in), and of course, by Coach K (1:22:45 minutes in).

[Mike Corey]

Coach K was recently awarded with a lifetime achievement award from Gloria's foundation. Coach K accepted the award in absentia, via this recorded speech. It is now available for public viewing, and I wanted to share it all with you. Coach K's sincerity and love is on full display.

[blazindw]

Great acceptance from Coach K and an excellent tribute to our dear friend. Thanks for sharing, Michael!

[ricks68]

Today marks four months since Gloria's passing. Her family and foundation are publishing the full video of the memorial accordingly.

To those of you wishing to learn more about Gloria, here is a tremendous, often funny, often gut-wrenching opportunity to do so. The memorial included a number of touching tributes from Gloria's friends, from her lawfirm's managing partner, and even from her husband, Will. There are also some separate video tributes that bring Gloria to life a little more than mere words can.

There are also some DBR-specific moments: The statement DBR so generously posted upon Gloria's passing is read aloud during this celebration of Gloria's life (starting around 16:45 in), and speeches are given by Donald Wine (1:16:10 minutes in), me (32:00 minutes in), and of course, by Coach K (1:22:45 minutes in).

Mike's posts have always been so inspiring. Please spork him a lot for me, as I can't again yet.

rick