Mel's Battle

For those of you who don't know Melissa, She was diagnosed on February 17th, 2009 with Osteoscaroma a form of bone cancer at the age of 13 she is now 18. The cancer started in her right femur, after countless chemo's and a partial leg replacement Mel went in to remission. That didn't last to long three months latter we found out that her cancer spread to her lungs, she underwent countless of chemotherapy treatments again along with a double lung surgery to remove the tumors and Mel was declared in remission again! Are lives got back to normal Mel went back to school, we rejoiced when we hit the one year mark in remission but not for long we were faced with the words that her cancer has yet again returned again to the lungs, we then started travailing to Arnold Palmer Children's Hospital in Orlando twice a week for a trial and got chemo every Friday at All Children's Hospital, we then learned that the trial wasn't working for Mel so we had to try something else, she then underwent another Double Lung surgery. Two short months latter the cancer was back in the lungs again at this point Mel's Oncologist told us its getting harder and harder to fight we then started Chemo up again and that seemed to be working, so we came to the time for yet again another surgery the tricky part this time they weren't able to get at the tumors from the back so they had to go through the front we were told that it would be the same process as an open heart surgery but they wont touch the heart. Last August her cancer came back only this time its not in the lungs this time it was where we never even thought it would even go to, it was in her Mediastinum wrapped around some blood vessels at this point Mel's Oncologist hands were really tied on what to do, he wasn't giving up they had a trial going on at NIH the National Institute of Health in Bethesda Maryland. When Melissa and her mom got up there they were doing pre-trial testing and they saw something on her echo that didn't look right, they sent her for a Cardiac MRI asap where we were soon slapped in the face with the news that they found a small spot about the size of a pea in Mel's heart at this point Mel wasn't able to go on the trial, we were sent home and were to meet with a Cardiologist and speak with Dr.Reed Mels oncologist. Yet again we found our self's lost and losing hope, that's when we got a call from Dr.Reed that he was able to get his hands on a trail that wasn't quite out yet for children with Osteoscaroma, early January of this year after Mel underwent 2 rounds of the chemo we had are 3 month scans only to find out it wasn't working. Dr.Reed then said we could try another chemo but he wasn't to hopeful it would work, Dr.Reed sat us down and told us that there's nothing else he can do he doesn't think surgery is an option that's when we knew it was time to reach out to other hospitals. That lead us to Cincinnati Children's Hospital where we found a trial for us, the trial will take place at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus Ohio the trial is called HSV1716 and it will be injected directly into my tumors even the small spot in my heart that's what is scaring us the most. So with all this starting March 3rd it will be taking a huge toll on are family mentally,emotionally and financially, Melissa mother will have to stop working for some time well they are up in Ohio we are going to have lots of extra expenses that come along with the trial like flights,lodging,food in Ohio also since Jo will not have a paychecks coming in we will need help with expense here at home as well. We Thank You all in advance for your donation from the bottom of are hearts.

With love
The Mugno's