Brookfield mom to receive prestigious Jerry Yeagley Award

 

BROOKFIELD, Wis. (CBS 58) -- This month's an exciting milestone for a Brookfield mom. It has been five years since Christine Roehling was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer. The fight goes on for her kids and for so many more.

It's hard to talk about even now.

"Dec. 12, 2019, I was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer," said Christine Roehling, The Beat Goes On Foundation co-founder.

At 35, Christine Roehling had never done a breast self-exam, but something had her do it then. Doctors found the cancer had already spread to her bones and lung.

"We had a party with all of our friends on New Year's Day that year in 2020, to cut all my hair and make it a celebration of life," said Christine Roehling.

It took six rounds of chemotherapy. Time in the hospital, sadly, wasn't out of the norm for the Roehlings. A few years earlier, there was a shocking discovery with their 13-month-old twins.

"I took my finger, and I rubbed it on the bottom of her left foot, and I got a reaction. I did it on the right foot and got (choked up)," said Dan Roehling, The Beat Goes On Foundation co-founder.

"And she was completely paralyzed on the right side of her body. And it turned out she had suffered a stroke due to a blood clot," said Christine Roehling.

Doctors learned Chloe had restrictive cardiomyopathy. So did Kendall, and both girls underwent lifesaving heart transplants.

"That stroke is what ultimately saved Kendall and Chloe," said Dan Roehling.

Five years later, Kendall's transplant was failing. She got a second transplant. That's not uncommon. So, the Roehlings started a foundation called The Beat Goes On, which has already raised $300,000 for research to better match recipients to their donor heart.

"The mindset of what we have is we want one transplant for life," said Dan Roehling.

But in 2022, another setback.

"I had this kind of internal feeling that something wasn't right," said Christine Roehling.

Christine asked for a brain scan, and it found two lesions.

"That was just so devastating to hear because you know that recurrence is real, but you never think it's gonna happen to you," she said.

Today, Christine's doing well, and wants to tell others.

"You need to trust your gut. You need to advocate for yourself. You need to ask all of the questions, even if you're annoying people in the room," Christine said.

The girls will turn 10 next month. Chloe plays basketball and likes Taylor Swift. Kendall's a cheerleader and will play lacrosse.

"And my daughters' health is a way that helped me cope through my own challenges, and nobody's gonna stop me from being there for my children, not even cancer," Christine said.

Next month, Christine Roehling will receive a prestigious award from the United Soccer Coaches Association for personal excellence, chosen for a former college soccer player who's gone above and beyond in life. It's called the Jerry Yeagley Award.