Cindy Lee Case
5/27/66 – 8/29/08
Cindy’s article in the Modesto Bee paper:
Cindy had a zeal for life. She loved her friends, family, and life and we loved her. She fought the bravest fight against a cancer that would not relent. She is now in the arms of Her Lord, Jesus Christ.
Cindy grew up in Clovis and Orange , CA . She moved to Modesto where she helped others as a cardiac ultrasound technician. Cindy loved remodeling her house, camping, traveling, and spending time with her nieces and nephews.
Cindy is survived by her mother Vickii Yeats, father Larry Case Sr., step-father Don Yeats, sister Donna Hendrickson, brothers Larry and Keri Case, and John and Laurie Case, step-mother Mercy Tognotti, and her children Mike and Frank. Her nieces and nephews Jake, Ollie, Eli, Aliyah, Noah, Samantha, and Jacob, were all special treasures to Cindy.
Special thanks must be given to: Dr. Eldaly and his wonderful staff at the Emanuel Cancer Center in Turlock , Pastor Rick at Big Valley Grace Community Church in Modesto , her loving mother Vickii, who was with Cindy until the end and her step-brother Mike, and to the caring nurses at Doctors Medical Center …especially Sarah and Cynthia. Thank you to all who supported and encouraged Cindy. As in life, she is smiling now.
Services will be held on Saturday, September 6, at 2 p.m., at Big Valley Grace Community Church , at 4040 Tully in Modesto , CA . Flowers may be sent to Big Valley Church or a contribution to the Emanuel Cancer Endowment at www.givetoemanuel.org would be appreciated.
This a very poignant and touching story of Cindy’s battle with cancer as told by her mom, VickiiYeats, who was always there during this battle:
Cindy’s talents were many. She painted me a picture that I proudly have hanging on my living room wall. She loved NASCAR, camping, jumping out of planes, repelling, Rock climbing, racing cars, and working on her home. Her biggest pleasure came from her nieces and nephews and the joy they gave her!
She worked for several doctors as a cardiac ultrasound technician. Dr.Ashraf, one of the doctor’s she worked for, would tell me little stories about Cindy. I think the one I remembered most was when Cindy was already working late and Dr.Ashraf needed one more patient done. He said, Cindy never complained when asked to stay late. She would always stay no matter how long, no matter how many patients.
Cindy had a strength and a stubbornness that God gave her for the last and most important task of her life, which was to fight a very fast growing ugly cancer called “Extra Hepatic Bile-duct Cancer”. She started her chemo one month after her operation to take out her gall bladder. (The gall bladder surgery was to be a normal procedure in January ‘08, they didn’t suspect cancer). They found the cancer was on the gall bladder and had spread to her liver and bile-duct and several other places in her body during the surgery. Every other week, I would take her for chemo procedures. Many times she had to have stints put in her liver and bile-ducts where the cancer had spread for those areas to function.
My sweetest memory of Cindy was on those days when we would walk hand-in-hand into the Emanuel Cancer Center in Turlock , where she had her chemo procedure. On a bad day, when Cindy was too weak to walk, the nurses would run out with a wheel chair for her. Those wonderful nurses all had a special gift of compassion from God. After each new series of chemo procedures she would have to take a PET scan to determine if the treatment was effective or not on the cancer. It usually brought bad news. So Cindy’s battle would continue and she never gave up.
She had many visitors and she loved having everyone visit her at home in Modesto . They were all so precious to her and no matter how sick she was she would welcome them and enjoyed their company.
Cindy knew the Lord. Her testimony was how God gave her the determination to try and beat this cancer even though we were told she would always have it. At night, when we said good night, I never knew what was going through Cindy’s mind. But for me, I remember so well, I would cry out to my Lord on Cindy’s behalf.
My daughter always told me thank you and that she loved me. Our time together was truly a blessing and a lasting gift from God. I will always see her beautiful face and her heart that was full of love. She had incredible strength throughout her life and during her last seven and a half months. I was so overwhelmed with love and respect for her and no mother could ever be more proud of her child than I was of Cindy.
Vickii Bouttier Yeats
May 2009
