Heather
A HPV Story
At the age of 31 Heather Burcham found herself dying of cervical cancer, caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV).
At age 26 she had been misdiagnosed and by the time she was diagnosed with cancer years later it was too late for any treatment to be effective.
Heather lived the remainder of her life with two goals in mind. First, to have not “lived in vain.” She actively worked to spread the word about cervical cancer and the HPV vaccine that is available to prevent most forms of it. In an interview with ABC News she is quoted to have said:
“I don’t want to have lived in vain. I don’t want my life to have no purpose whatsoever. And if I can help spread the word about cervical cancer, and the HPV vaccine, then I haven’t lived in vain.”
Her second goal was to live her remaining days to the fullest. She did her best to check off as many things on her bucket list as she could including sky diving and travel.
One of her final acts before her death was to share her story of cervical cancer in a video message (above).
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There is no evidence that HPV vaccination causes fertility or reproductive problems. In fact, getting HPV vaccine, which protects against cervical cancer, can help ensure a woman’s ability to get pregnant and have healthy babies.
Treatment for HPV may require treatments that leave one unable to have children. HPV vaccination can help prevent these complications.