Tricia Berger

Sunday 20th April 2008...

In the Morning I went to the church.. and then went to see my Princess friend. Church is always a peaceful, meaningful, joyful and merciful FOR ME! (sure you can pray any place at any time) ...Most of the Sundays I go to church because I feel that "God gives me 7 days in a week and I can do things on the 6 days even if you wish on Sunday too but I try to keep 1 hour for worshiping on Sunday with the other believers at church.".... I do NOT see wrong for others as Sunday is family day or working day because there are so many people are working in different areas. I know that some doctors are busy helping life on Sunday.. I see the soldiers are working day and night in battle fields...so do firefighters...etc.... Trust me those are in my prayer not every night but very often.

In the Evening I read the following article about "Tricia Berger".. I feel so sorry and sad to read that she die at such a young age...only 25! But I admired of her determination to live full of life even such a short time. Yes some die more younger than her. As I told you there are so many questions that I want to get answers but I have no abilities to understand it. I know Tricia die of cancer but I do not know why on earth at such a young age as my sister?? I have faith that God knows and one day I will understand why my sister and Tricia?

Every time when I see or read the article about cancers......my concern of my own cancer that I had, still giving me scare, worry, sad, cry and angry.... without a doubt what ever a head of me my Lord Jesus will taking care of me...even when my time come, I know there is a reason which I will not get answer on this earthly life!! Would like to share a bible verse......

And Jesus answered them, saying, "The Hour is come that the Son of Man should be glorified".....John 12:23

The music lives on through Tricia's legacy
A new scholarship recently was established for students in grades K-11 who have attended St. Mary Catholic School in Pinckney for at least a year and who will be taking private music lessons in the fall, or who will be attending music camp. The scholarship was established in memory of Tricia Berger, a young music teacher at St. Mary Catholic School who passed away last year. Lynn Trierweiler, Berger's cousin and a fellow St. Mary teacher, wrote this column.
It was the type of moment that people dread the most.
In May 2003, at the age of 21, Tricia Berger was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. Everyone was shocked. Colon cancer? In a young woman? Isn't it an old man's disease? As many people who have had a family member with cancer know, cancer does not discriminate. It strikes anyone, at any time, and anywhere.
The doctors recommended emergency surgery as a first course of treatment. Tricia and her family agreed to the surgery, but there was a problem with the timing. Her cousin and best friend was getting married on May 24 and Tricia was in the wedding. She was told she wouldn't be able to go to the wedding because she would still be in the hospital recovering from surgery. She didn't like that answer. Tricia was determined to go to the wedding, and despite having the surgery ... she did.
During Tricia's stay in the hospital, the doctors detected a small spot on her liver. A biopsy revealed the cancer had spread. Her treatment options were very limited, and her prognosis was grim. Statistics show that liver cancer patients only survive a few years after diagnosis.
Tricia was determined she was not going to be another statistic. She was going to beat the cancer on her own terms ... and she did.
For the next year and a half, Tricia was both cancer-free and very busy. She led the life of a normal college student. She happily (and sometimes frantically) juggled classes, work, social activities, and family functions. Unfortunately, this period didn't last. By the end of 2004, her liver cancer was not only back, but it was inoperable.
At this point, some might have given up and left school, but not Tricia. She graduated summa cum laude from Aquinas College in 2005 with a degree in music education. She didn't just want to finish her degree program; she wanted to use it. In August 2005, St. Mary School hired Tricia as a part-time music teacher.
Her faith and continued determination carried her through her first year. Tricia was a very private person, so her medical condition was largely unknown to the school community. She only wanted to teach and to share her love of music with her students.
In the fall of 2006, it was obvious that Tricia had lost weight. As September turned to October, she started moving more slowly, but she continued to teach. By November, it was apparent something was very wrong, but Tricia struggled on. She was concerned about letting people down. She wanted to make sure she was doing the job she was hired to do. As a result, she held out until the end of December. She was determined to pull off a successful Christmas program, and she did.
That was the last time Tricia was with her students. After the program, she decided to take some time to regain her strength. Her intention was to take only a few weeks off, but she never made it back to school. In the early morning hours of March 30, 2007, Tricia passed away in her family home.
Throughout the last few years, one thing has been made very clear. Tricia was determined to accomplish the goals she set for herself. She wanted to study and to teach music, and a terminal diagnosis wasn't going to stop her. We as her family are carrying on her wish to teach the love of music to others through the creation of the Tricia T. Berger Music Scholarship. It is our hope that this scholarship will inspire others not only to love music, but possibly to teach it to future generations. We were determined to find a way to keep Tricia's memory and love of music alive, and with this scholarship, we did.
For inquires and applications, please contact St. Mary School by mail at 10601 Dexter-Pinckney Road, Pinckney, MI 48169; or by phone at (734) 878-5616. The application deadline is May 10.
If you would like to donate money to the scholarship fund, you may make a check out to the Tricia Berger Music Scholarship and send it to the above address. The school is holding a benefit spaghetti dinner at 5 p.m. May 16 to gather donations for the fund.
Space for this guest column was donated by the Daily Press & Argus to the Light .