Welcome
THE BRITTANY CAYEMBERG FOUNDATION was started to fulfill a simple promise. One that this foundation has vowed to carry out for generations to come. To carry on thru the spirit of one amazing girl with a scholarship to help others who face adversity, aspire to do better, and help others along the way. Brittany Cayemberg was one of those kids. Full of life, and aspired to do something with it. Brittany had strength beyond her years in her courage and determination. We know she would have gone far had she been given the chance. The Brittany Cayemberg Foundation would like to give others the chance to go farther with a scholarship in her honor.
Mission Statement
Brittany Cayemberg was diagnosed with cancer at the age of four. From that point on, she demonstrated character traits that exemplify the best of the human spirit. Despite vigorous treatments and relapses, she continued to be involved in school and in the community, displaying strength, determination and compassion, until her untimely death at the age of sixteen. Her motto was “You determine your strength. So stay Strong.”sm
The mission of her foundation is to continue her legacy by honoring other students who have encountered challenges and have demonstrated similar character traits in meeting and overcoming those challenges. By financially supporting students who are pursuing education after high school, the values of hard work, perseverance, and community service can be fostered, thereby promoting their efforts to make the world a better place to live.
Brittany’s Story
Brittany Marie Cayemberg was born in the fall of 1993 to Michelle and Randy Cayemberg. Although she was born breech, she was a happy, healthy, normal baby girl. At the age of 2-3 months, she was nicknamed “Mouser” by her Uncle Terry, because while he was holding her she made squeaking sounds. At a young age, she seemed to always want to “help” or try to do it herself. One of her often used phrases was “I DO” ~ not wanting any help as she tried to figure things out on her own. Two years later in 1995, Brittany’s sister, Alison, joined the family. Brittany would help Alison and always kept an eye on her; there was a close bond between the two right from the start.
Brittany’s (and our) lives changed in March of 1997. She woke up in the middle of the night complaining that her shoulder hurt. After rubbing it, she said it felt better and went back to sleep. Sunday morning when we woke up, at approximately 7:00 a.m., Brittany was already up and holding her arm, saying her shoulder still hurt but in a different place. This seemed odd as Brit always had a high tolerance to pain. We took her to the emergency room to see if she dislocated her shoulder or if there was something that needed medical attention. X-rays revealed that her shoulder was fine. However, the following day when the pediatrician reviewed the x-ray, he noticed a tumor located between the upper part of her lung and her spine. There were a lot of appointments, scans and biopsies done over the next few days. The tumor turned out to be neuroblastoma, a malignant (cancerous) growth that develops from nerve tissue. It occurs in infants and children, most commonly diagnosed before age 5.