Lyssa

Yesterday I laid my wife to rest and said goodbye. One of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. Every moment since she took her last breath has been a kind of hell I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. But as my brother @pastor_antonio_tgec told me earlier today in the early morning hours, Grief is love with nowhere to go. I am so thankful to have loved and been loved by Alyssa. There aren’t enough words to accurately depict the time we spent together. How do you summarize a relationship, a marriage, a life built over ten years, into a paragraph? I dont think you can. Thank you to everyone who played a part in making my wife’s send off such a beautiful day. But I want to give a special shout to @justmealeasha . Her quick thinking and love for Alyssa resulted in my wife having her own day. In Houston, Texas, January 24th is now Alyssa Burks Day. Thank you Aleasha for all the hardwork you put in to making that happen. Thank you for pushing to have my wife’s work and advocacy acknowledged. Her pain and suffering, was not in vain. I will carry this pain and grief so she that she may rest and no longer suffer. Till we meet again Mi Reina. In Omni Vita. No matter what. I love you honey pot🍯

November 26,1990-January 15, 2026 Early yesterday morning, Lys passed away in my arms while our favorite Disney movie played: Avatar. Lys was unbelievably strong. She went through more than anyone ever should, and I watched her fight with courage, grace, and so much love. I am so proud of her. Proud of who she was, how she loved, and how she showed up for our family even when it was so hard. Alyssa was an incredible wife and an amazing mom. She loved fiercely and deeply, and that love will never leave us. I’ll carry her with me in everything I do. Thank you to everyone who has loved her, supported her, and stood by us through this. Please keep all of our family in your thoughts as we try to figure out how to live in a world without her. My person, my best friend, my safe place, my everything. I love you with everything in me, No matter what. I hope the afterlife looks like Pandora just like you hoped. 💜

Choosing home hospice with Stage 4 Stomach Cancer: For Alyssa it brings peace and comfort before her final days. #stomachcancer #stomachcancerawareness #cancerdiagnosis #stage4cancer #stage4stomachcancer #gastriccancer #thepatientstory #hospice

Just thinking back at how magical our dream vow renewal was 🥹 None of this would’ve been possible without Wish Upon A Wedding. They partnered with over 20 amazing vendors who volunteered their time and services to make our dreams come true. If this is something you’d like to help contribute to, especially on this Giving Tuesday, you can do so by checking out their website wishuponawedding.org as well as the links on their IG/FB #vowrenewal #wishuponawedding #givingtuesday

When you’re navigating cancer as a couple, you start to catch the small shifts. The days when you feel a little disconnected. The moments where the weight gets heavy. Alyssa and Audric Burks share the moment they realized it was time to rebuild their connection and go back to couples counseling. Episode 5 is now LIVE. Link in bio.

A brand new episode of From the Gut just dropped. This one is all about love, partnership, and resilience during stomach cancer. Alyssa and Audric Burks open up about choosing each other through every challenge. Marriage coach Jennifer Johnson joins to share guidance on emotional and physical connection during treatment and survivorship, shaped in part by her own husband’s total gastrectomy due to the CDH1 gene mutation. 🎙️ Episode 5 is out now ➡️ Watch on YouTube or listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts

35 and still alive 🥳💜 Thank you everyone for the overwhelming outpour of love these past couple of days 🥹 Making it to another birthday was a dream come true ✨ Each and every one of you made it even better with all of your sweet words and acts of kindness. I didn’t get to capture as many pictures as I would have liked due all the pain that I was experiencing, but I am grateful that I had my loved ones by my side through it all 💜 I love yall 🫶🏼

Happy 35th Birthday to @lys_beee 🎂🥂 There will never be enough “I love you’s” “I’m here for you” “I’m proud of you” “you inspire me” “I’m in awe of your resilience and mental health” There isn’t enough words to say how much I am glad that you are here, celebrating your birthday. It should be a freaking holiday, but that’s another conversation. Cheers to you and all you’ve done in these 35 years. 12784 days 1826.25 weeks 420 months 🤭 May you be spoiled and loved on as you very much deserve. Wrapping you in a big hug 🥰 Love you so very much, sis 🫶🏽💜✨ #Hbd #birthdaylove #family #sisters #ily

Yet another procedure added to the list. This morning right after our meeting with the hospice nurse, Lys went to flush and realized her feeding tube was blocked. We tried to clear it ourselves but realized we would probably bust it again. So Lys called intervention radiology and they were able to fit Lys in for an “emergency” procedure to have it replaced. The procedure is done and was successful. We will be going home soon.

Alyssa Burks, 34, and Sidney Raskind, 36, represent a powerful shift in stomach cancer advocacy. As more young adults face diagnosis, their voices help others recognize symptoms earlier and understand why research and education are so urgent. Their stories remind us that behind every statistic is a person, a family, and a future worth protecting. Our 2025 Annual Appeal is focused on supporting this new generation of patients and advocates through research, awareness, and early detection efforts. Tap the link in our bio to learn more and donate.

Still here 💜 Still embracing every moment that I get. I just wanted to ask for a favor from my friends and loved ones. Please email me some of your favorite memories with me. This will bring me so much peace and joy as I’m getting closer to my final transition here 🥹 It can also bring comfort to my family. Thank you so much. I love you all 🫶🏼

Well, I guess it’s time for an official update. As you all know, I’ve been in and out of the hospital this past week with excruciating pain. Tests were performed, and it’s been confirmed that the cancer has progressed so much that it’s causing this pain. This is something that I can expect to feel going forward, so we are focusing on pain management. With the confirmed disease progression, that means that this line of chemo is not working. As we know, this was the last line of chemo available for me. So what’s next? I will be starting at home hospice care. Hospice will be focusing on symptom management and getting me as comfortable as possible as I get closer to my final transition here. My life has been blessed with so much love, beautiful connections, and amazing memories. Thank you all for your generous support, especially these past few years. I am in awe of how people showed up during this time. People that I connected with so many years ago. It just goes to show the beauty of making connections in life. You all hold a special place in my heart 🥹💜 Please keep my family and friends in your thoughts and prayers. We are going to make the best of whatever time that I have left, but I’m sure this will still be heavy ❤️‍🩹 If you’d like to visit, just let me know but please keep in mind that my immune system is very weak. If you have been sick or have been around anyone else that has been sick, you should postpone visits with me until more time has passed. Signing off with one of my fav pics from Japan 🥰 Love you all 💜🫶🏼