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Home > Archive > Mar 6, 2008

Breast Cancer Survivor Is a Winner
By Ellie Lambert
Sherri Burmester has had one crazy year. Diagnosed with breast cancer in February 2007, one year later, she received news that she had won a $10,000 bedroom makeover courtesy of Serta and Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
In continuing support of its partnership with Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Serta's Counting Sheep for the Cure is an essay contest honoring two breast cancer survivors or co-survivors with a $10,000 bedroom makeover and a $5,000 donation to Komen for the Cure in their name.
"My brother Lance called me in October, I think, and said he'd seen an advertisement announcing this contest that Serta was sponsoring," said Burmester. "It was for breast cancer survivors and co-survivors. They were asking for a 150-word essay describing your breast cancer story."
Burmester didn't think much of it at the time, as her brother announced that he would be submitting an essay about her survival and suggested she submit an essay as well.
"I didn't really take it too seriously," she said. "I just sort of put it off.”
One day, however, she decided she would submit an entry.
"I was just sitting here, trying to put some sentences together, and it sounded kind of cheesy," she said, "I asked my husband, Joel, about it and he suggested getting rid of the cheesy part. I ended up turning it into a poem."
The months went by, said Burmester, and she would think about the contest from time to time, wondering if anything had come of it.
"By the time late January rolled around," she said, "I thought, 'What's going on with this contest?' so I called Serta."
The few people she was able to speak with didn't have an answer for her.
"It was almost as though the contest didn't exist," she said.
A few days later, her telephone rang.
"It was already February at that point," said Burmester, "and all I really wanted to do was go online and read the winning essay."
Much to her surprise, the phone call was from Serta.
"I was just shocked when they told me I'd won!" she said. "I just sat here and cried. Tears just rolled down my face. It was so exciting!"
She then called her brother in Roosevelt and said, "I won!"
She explained that she had won the bedroom makeover contest.
"He was really excited and happy for me," she said, "but disappointed that his story didn't win."
There were two winners in the contest, the other winner being Tracy Markelin, of St. Louis, Mo.
"A few days later," said Burmester, "I got another call from Serta. It was a conference call. I spoke to Kevin Houldsworth, who is with the PR department, and next on the line was Thom Filicia."
Filicia asked her what, in particular, she wanted for her bedroom.
"I had no clue. I just knew that I wanted a television, some music, and some soft, really soft, bedding. I wanted to be able to walk into my bedroom and see how soft and comfy my bed is just by looking at it."
Filicia then instructed her to turn around and describe her room to him.
"That was really hard to do," said Burmester. "The chemo had really gotten me all foggy, and turning left, right, east, west – it was confusing."
After a lengthy conversation with Filicia, he assured her that he felt he could make her bedroom just the way she wanted it.
"I still thought I was talking to some PR guy," said Burmester, "I had no idea who Thom Filicia was. But when I found out, boy did I feel like a bumpkin!"
Thom Filicia is a nationally known designer, having appeared on 'Queer Eye for the Straight Guy' on Bravo and 'Dress My Nest' on the Style network.
This pleasant surprise comes a year after a devastating surprise.
Burmester was 35 when she discovered a lump on her breast. 
"I was just putting on lotion, and I felt something funny. I mean, it didn't seem like much, but I thought it was just kind of weird. I mentioned it to my husband, and he said to be sure to have my doctor check it out when I went for my physical the following week.
She mentioned the lump to her doctor, and he suggested she see a surgeon the following day, which she did
"It was kind of late in the day, and although the surgeon didn't think it felt like a tumor, she performed an ultrasound on it. I was shocked to even hear the word 'tumor', but then she said she didn't like the way it seemed to be so deep. Had she not done the ultrasound, I think she might have just blown it off as nothing to worry about."
Burmester went back the next day for a biopsy. Still not concerned about the outcome, she didn't tell her family about her experience.
"A week later, I got a phone call from the doctor telling me it was cancer. I just couldn't breathe," she said.
Her doctor wanted to address it immediately, and Burmester agreed. Having made prior plans to spend the weekend with friends at Zion, she honored that commitment. Keeping her news to herself, she said, she enjoyed every single moment of her time at Zion.
"It was just a great way for me to process this information I'd just been handed," she said.
The following week, she went in for a lumpectomy. Although she had “clear margins,” she said, they found that seven of nine lymph nodes had cancer.
"That meant the cancer had spread," said Burmester, "so that is why I had to have chemo."
As of today, Burmester is considered cancer free, but because of her young age, the cells divide much more quickly, which requires tests being performed often over the next five years.
"I'm feeling pretty good right now," she said, "and having a 16-month-old running around really works me out. My daughter, Kira, is 7, and she is a big help to me."
With the team from Serta scheduled to arrive in the next few weeks, Burmester is eagerly awaiting the changes to come.
"This has been such a blessing," she said, "I never dreamed anything like this could be possible, so we are really excited. I am really looking forward to a new bed and a new television!"
According to Kelly Rampson, Serta's director of marketing, Serta has donated almost $600,000 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure since 2005.
"To further our commitment to the cause, we wanted to give people the opportunity to reflect upon the individuals who have risen above breast cancer and have been sources of inspiration to all,” Rampson said. “We look forward to bringing comfort to the cause."
For more information about Susan G. Komen for the Cure, breast health or breast cancer, visit www.komen.org, or call 1-800-I'M AWARE (1-800-462-9273).

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