Cancer Bucketlist Mother & Son Trip

My name is Liz and I am creating this Gofund me for my friend & family member Melissa. Melissa and my Uncle John dated for years and were blessed with a spunky son named Aiden. Even though John and Melissa parted ways, she has always remained very close to us, as a part of our family.

In November of 2021 Melissa had an MRI of her breast and found a small mass in the right middle lobe. Her biopsy in February 2022 gave a diagnosis of Adenocarcinoma of the lung. She was determined, for her son Aiden, to fight this as best as she could and created a plan with her Drs. She started with a lobectomy & lymphectomy in March of 2022. In the summer she underwent 4 doses of chemo treatment. In September her CT scan and PET scan showed that the chemo did not prevent the cancer from growing. As aggressive as this cancer was, they opted to be just as aggressive and she had 30 treatments of radiation and 6 doses of chemo over 6 week period. Devastatingly her December CT & PET scan showed that the chemo and radiation did not prevent the cancer from growing and spreading. It metastasized to the bones (T2 and L5 in spine), right scapula, sacrum (bones between spine and tail bone), left ilium (hip bone), and right femur. It also has spread to her pancreas and uterus, which is rare. She is now Stage 4 with no other curable treatment options available. Her Dr will not give her a timeline.

We do not know how much time she has left with us, but we know that we want it to be lived to the fullest before the cancer doesn’t give her an option. Melissa is one of the strongest and most resilient people I know. Eight years ago she was transferred from her job in Connecticut to Massachusetts. She moved herself & Aiden and left behind their only support system, us and her mother Lisa/family in Pennsylvania. Her mother Lisa is constantly driving back and forth from Massachusetts to Pennsylvania to help with Aiden, appointments, and daily activities that Melissa is finding increasingly difficult to do. Melissa has always put Aiden first with every decision she’s made. When I asked her what was on her Bucket List, she immediately answered “I want to take Aiden to California!”

Let’s make this happen for them, and also

help alleviate some of Melissas medical expenses.