Michelle’s Story
Updated August 1, 2013
Like many young adults her age, Michelle Horback Palgut had a life plan. Her plan was not extremely unique – complete her education; establish a career; marry a man she loved; start a family; and live happily ever after.
At the time of her death, she had accomplished all but one of the goals in her plan. She completed her education earning a Bachelor Degree in Accounting in 2001 from Michigan State University followed by a Masters of Business Administration from Walsh Business College in 2005. In 2007 she received Certified Public Accountant status. These accomplishments demonstrate the importance Michelle always placed on education. Her career in taxation was well underway at a large financial company. Also in 2007, she married Jon Palgut, a fellow Spartan, whom she loved very much; and in 2009, she had a baby girl they named Gabrielle, which means Hero of God.
Unfortunately, the living happily ever after was not in the stars for Michelle. On Christmas Eve In December 2008 she determined she was pregnant – the best Christmas present she could have hoped for. However, early in the New Year during the first check-up with her doctor, a polyp was discovered on her cervix. In February, a week after her 30th birthday, they were told the polyp was a rare form of cervical cancer.
After consulting with three major hospitals, she received a consensus that it was possible for her to continue the pregnancy while undergoing treatment for the cancer. They prescribed six chemotherapy treatments, which would then bring her to a viable point in the pregnancy when they could deliver the baby and do a hysterectomy.
This was scheduled and performed on July 2, 2009. Little Gabrielle Elyse Palgut entered the world at 3 lbs., 13 oz. with no health issues whatsoever. The surgery was considered a success as all indications were the cancer had been eradicated. Michelle and Jon spent the next five months in total elation from the birth of their healthy little girl and Michelle’s thought-to-be cured cancer.
Sadly, on Christmas Eve 2009, she received quite the opposite of the happy news she had received the prior year on that day. After experiencing back pain for several weeks, they discovered the cancer had recurred near her kidney. Michelle then went through grueling rounds of radiation only to be told the cancer had spread even further. In May 2010, she and Jon were told all they could do was “manage” the disease with a different type of chemo followed by the devastating news that she only had 5-8 months to live. But she wasn’t lucky enough to have even that many. After receiving one round of chemotherapy, she was plagued by extreme fatigue, low blood counts and went in to steady decline until she passed away on August 1, 2010.
Michelle’s courage and strength during her illness were amazing. Her medical records at the University of Michigan were laced with the words “courageous”, “very strong willed”, “positive attitude”. People who cared for her always spoke of the grace and dignity with which she accepted her fate.
Gabrielle, who is now 4 years old, already shows signs of having her Mom’s strong will and independence. Someday she will know all about how much her Mom loved her and how much like her she is. She will also know that her name was chosen because she was Michelle’s hero; if not for the pregnancy, the cancer would not have been detected until probably much later. As successful as Michelle was in everything she did during her life, Motherhood would have been her best achievement of all.
All who were fortunate to have known Michelle would agree that she would have accomplished so much more had she only been able to experience that last step in her life plan – to live happily ever after.
It is our hope that the Michelle Horback Palgut Memorial Fund will honor her memory, carry on Michelle’s passion for education and keep her alive in the hearts of all who knew and loved her so very much.