UGA student Liza Burke dies from brain tumor discovered on spring break

University of Georgia senior Liza Burke, who suffered a brain hemorrhage while on spring break in Mexico last month, died early Friday morning after watching a movie with her family.

The 22-year-old was holding hands with her older brother Jack when she died around 2:20 a.m.

“Once he fell asleep and the only eyes on Liza were those of her ‘other mother,’ Liza took a final breath, sighed, and transitioned into the next realm. Beane, the dog quickly sensed it and was downstairs while I was being awakened,” her mom Laura McKeithen wrote in an online journal detailing her daughter’s final days.

“After Hospice was called, we dressed Liza in colorful pajamas, gifted by her boyfriend’s mother and Jack’s girlfriend, Elli, braided her hair. Liza’s dad, uncle, and a few of my UGA friends came in to say their goodbyes.”

Burke was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor after she suffered a brain bleed on March 10 while vacationing in Cabo San Lucas with her boyfriend and a group of friends.

The dual business management and Spanish major had complained of a headache hours before she became unresponsive and was rushed into emergency surgery to remove part of her skull.

She had suffered from intense headaches for years before the hemorrhage — her family said the tumor had apparently been “dormant” for several years “before it became aggressive in a very short time.”

Burke was placed on life support and seemingly made progress, but did not respond to three rounds of radiation.

Burke’s North Carolina-based family anticipated her passing and made the decision earlier this month to bring her to a home near the beach in Florida to spend her final days.

The college student’s breathing had slowed to “raspy, shallow” breaths Thursday morning, her mom wrote.

As they had for the past several weeks, Burke’s family enjoyed the tropical wildlife and enjoyed family movie nights. In the hours before she passed, Burke watched “Interstellar” with her loved ones.

Burke lost her younger sister, Edie, in 2008 to a rare genetic syndrome called mucopolysarcharidosis type I, which is characterized by an abnormal buildup of toxins in the body’s cells.

“Liza has now been reunited with her sister and they are making up for lost time!” McKeithen said.

Two celebrations of life are being planned for Burke: one held by her friends in their college city of Athens and one in her hometown of Asheville, North Carolina.