By Brent Bosker

Kaila Berg remembered for determination

Nov 30, 2010 | 8:50 AM

She lived to see the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Grey Cup, but an 18-year-old girl lost her battle with cancer before her trip with the Chris Knox Foundation was over.

Kaila Berg died early Monday morning before returning to her home in Shellbrook.

“She was very excited to go (the Grey Cup). Everything seemed alright, but then it was very sudden … on Monday she passed away in the morning,” said her friend Michelle Miller.

Miller said she had talked to Berg, Friday night, but never thought it would be their last conversation.

“She was one of the best friends you could ever ask for. She was a very kind, considerate person, she always put you before herself … she had a lot of dreams that she wanted to capture in the future. She was very positive and a great outlook on life.”

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The Chris Knox Foundation, which allows kids and young adults battling cancer to attend a Grey Cup game, issued a statement remembering Berg as, “a shining light and inspiration to everyone who knew her.”

The statement said the loss deepens the foundation's resolve to help young cancer patients in Saskatchewan create memories that live forever.

The foundation had allowed Berg to attend the Grey Cup during the previous year as well, and Miller said Berg was looking forward to going with her mom again.

“She was really excited to go to the game again.”

Miller isn’t the only one describing Berg as a fighter. The principal of Carlton Comprehensive High School, Dawn Kilmer said she remembers the day Berg was diagnosed.

“The first day of school for all of our students in the Grade 12 year start with the thoughts of what they are going to do in the future and they are so excited. Kaila’s Grade 12 year started with news from doctor that she hand cancer,” she said.

“With news like that, they knew that it was a battle of a lifetime and Kaila was up to that battle and her dream was to help others and to become a doctor and help other kids that were in exactly in the same boat as she was.”

“She would drive to chemo then drive back to school and work on her units and do very well in those classes. There wasn’t anything that Kaila couldn’t accomplish.”

Berg was awarded a scholarship for her courage throughout her Grade 12 year, to help her continue with future education.

“That award is based on students who have met some tremendous obstacles and work hard to work though those obstacles, Kaila was the absolute, hands down, winner of that award last year,” Kilmer said.

“Even though she was battling cancer, she kept telling herself I’m going to get through this because I have a lot of things I want to do in life,” Miller said.

In a statement, Berg’s family says they're grateful to the Chris Knox Foundation for the incredible time they had with Kaila at the Grey Cup.

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