Melissa 2.0

Hello All! If you do not already know, Melissa has been battling leukemia since 2017. Having gone through tough induction chemotherapy back in October 2017, this cycle has come full circle. Since October 2017, she has been going through different regimens of chemotherapy to help fight the cancer. Each treatment getting tougher and tougher for her body to cope with. However, after each and every treatment, she would show the greatest amount of strength to not let others know she wasn’t feeling well. Although the chemo was definitely getting to her, it was her strength that would overcome. Through many cycles of chemo, results were still showing signs that slight leukemia was still present in her blood and chemotherapy seemed like it wasn’t cutting it. But like the fighter she is, Melissa was still fighting this head on. It wasn’t until March 2017, we received news of a new kind of treatment. A treatment that was not chemotherapy, but was a medicine that would be pumped through her body continuously 24/7. Blinatumomab, or Blincyto, was the medication. The Blincyto would combat the leukemia cells without the side effects of chemotherapy. Melissa was lucky to get approved for this treatment and within 3 cycles of the Blincyto, the leukemia was erased!! She was officially declared in remission Her battle is still not done. There is one more process that Melissa will have to go through to ensure that the leukemia will not return in the future: Stem cell transplant. As of October 1, 2018, Melissa and I have been at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center as we are in the process of the stem cell transplant. The stem cell transplant may take up to 6 month for the cells to fully engraft. If you may not know, prior to receiving the stem cells, Melissa would have to go through an extensive round of high-dose radiation and high-dose chemo so that when the stem cells engraft, they are starting with a clean slate. Melissa is currently going through the side effects of the high-dose radiation and high-dose chemo and has, unfortunately, gone through a few complications. But like the fighter she is, she will get through this!!! During this whole process,Melissa has not been able to work due to her condition. And during the the stem cell process, I myself will not work as Melissa will require a caregiver 24/7. It is at this time we would like to humbly request to see if any loved ones, friends, and family may want to help donate so that we can get through this process and support our family. God bless! -the Dela Pena’s