Support Melissa's Journey: A Mother's Cancer Battle

My name is Shara and I am sharing this with permission from Melissa and her family. Melissa started out as my work friend... the kind of person you instantly click with, and over the years, she has become a sister to me. She’s one of the strongest people I know, facing her battle with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma quietly, never letting on just how scared she really is.But now, as she prepares for a life saving stem cell transplant, the fear has started to show. One morning she called me after a night of terrible nightmares, her voice shaking as she said, “Please, if anything happens to me, make sure my husband and kids are okay.” I quickly told her, “We’re not going there!!! You’re going to be just fine.” But deep down, I knew this was taking more out of her than she was letting anyone see. There are few people in this world like Melissa. She’s the kind of person who gives more than she takes, who shows up for others no matter how much she’s carrying, and who loves her four children and husband with a depth and fierceness that’s hard to put into words.

Melissa is a wife, a full-time mom of three boys (16, 14, and 9), and a little girl (7). She’s also a fighter. Because for over a year now, she’s been facing one of the hardest battles life can throw at someone: Stage 2 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. I’ve hesitated to start this fundraiser because doing so makes it all feel so real and so heavy... but it is VERY real and it’s breaking my heart. I can no longer sit and do nothing. My sweet friend deserves to have people in her corner during this time. I’ve been praying for the day this chapter is behind her. But the truth is, it’s been one devastating battle after another.

What began as a routine doctor’s visit for breathing trouble turned into a nightmare. A CT scan revealed more than pneumonia—it uncovered spots on her lymph nodes. A biopsy confirmed the unthinkable: cancer. Within a month, Melissa was starting chemotherapy. Her world shifted overnight.

But even as her hair began falling out in clumps, even as the nausea and exhaustion consumed her, she stayed strong...for her kids. She threw on hats with a brave face and tried to keep life as normal as possible. Behind the smiles were silent battles...fighting to keep the fear, pain, and uncertainty from touching her children’s joy.

After 9 rounds of chemo, scans showed no progress. She underwent major surgery to get a larger biopsy, and while it ruled out other cancers, it confirmed her diagnosis hadn’t changed but her cancer is refractory, meaning it isn’t responding to treatment.

Now, Melissa is preparing for a stem cell transplant, a difficult, invasive procedure that requires her to be hospitalized for 3 to 4 weeks, followed by months of recovery and isolation.

To make things even harder, she recently ended up in the ER and was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, after going into diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). She is now insulin-dependent for the rest of her life.

As Melissa prepares to begin this next grueling phase, the weight of her world falls on her husband. He is now not only the sole breadwinner but also her full-time caretaker, the emotional rock for their four children, and the one keeping everything afloat at home while Melissa fights to survive. He is doing everything he can but no one should have to do this alone.

Melissa works as a 100% commission-based realtor and has done everything possible to continue supporting her family, taking on behind-the-scenes tasks when she could, but now, her ability to work is gone. The bills are piling up. The school year is starting. The financial pressure is becoming unbearable.

But perhaps the most heartbreaking part of this story is something Melissa rarely speaks of: she lost her own mother when she was very young. That grief never left her. And now, in quiet moments, she wrestles with a fear no parent should ever have to carry the fear of not being here for her children as they grow.

Her fight is not just for her life. It’s for every birthday, every first day of school, every hug, every moment she refuses to miss.

We are asking for your help to lift this incredible family in their time of need.

Donations will go toward:

Medical expenses and stem cell transplant costs not covered by insurance

Insulin, prescriptions, and diabetes management supplies

Childcare, gas, parking, and transportation to and from the hospital

Back-to-school clothing and supplies for her four children

Mortgage, groceries, and essential household bills while income is paused

Giving Melissa the space and peace to focus on healing, not survival

Melissa is a bright light in this world. She has fought to shield her children from the hardest parts of this journey. But now, it’s time we help shield her.

If you can give, no matter the amount, it will mean the world. And if you can’t, please share this with your heart wide open. Let’s help Melissa feel the love she’s poured into others come pouring back to her now.

She’s not giving up. And we won’t give up on her.

With hope, love, and deepest gratitude,

Shara

Please join me in lifting Melissa up with your donations, your prayers, and your love.