Hi my name is Stephanie and I'm Marissa's youngest sister reaching out on her behalf to ask for your help to cover medical and life expenses. We still can't believe it, but Marissa has been diagnosed with metastatic colorectal cancer.
It all started as subtle signs at first, bloating and then pain in her back and tailbone. For a long time, she explained it away by irritable bowel and then soreness from yoga and meditation, but the last 3 weeks the pain became unbearable. Finally, she went to emergency department with unrelenting pain and life was turned upside down with a metastatic diagnosis within 1 hour of arriving in the hospital. Things have been moving really fast. First trying to manage her pain, understand the extent of her metastases, plan for colostomy, plan for an easy access line (port) and prepare to begin immediate aggressive chemotherapy. They can't take out the tumor, it's too much, but aggressive treatment can give her valuable time. She will start a twice monthly multi-regimen chemotherapy possibly as soon as next week. The next 6 months are particularly crucial to see how her cancer responds to treatment. Her cancer doctor says working during this time is unrealistic and she needs your help.
You know Marissa. She lights up a room with her energy. She's there for everyone with genuine friendship and love. You need help, she's helping you. You've fallen on hard times and you come to her for hairstyling, she does if for free. You need someone to listen, she listens. You need food, she feeds you. If you needed someone to step up in the hardest time in your life, Marissa was willing. Marissa is always selflessly helping people. She does it because at her core she believes people deserve friendship, love and redemption. In return, the world has loved her back and we thank you for the outpouring of love and support.
Why Marissa needs financial help. Marissa as a hairstylist with her own studio does not have the security of typical jobs. She doesn't have paid time off or short/long term disability. She has been fortunate over the years to build a cliental that gave her financial security. COVID challenged it some with required shutdown, but she was rebuilding. Now, she won't be able to work and she won't have a paycheck. Still people rely on her. In her house, she supports our elderly dad as well as she and Boston's blended family including her son (Gauge), Boston's son (Michael), and Boston's grandson (Izeyah). It's going to be incredibly difficulty. Typically, Marissa is the glue to keep everything together. Now she has to focus on chemotherapy and survival. Yet they still have to think about surviving together through this...financially and emotionally as a family. Cancer treatment is amongst the most expensive even with insurance. She will have prescription expenses, regular imaging tests to monitor treatment response, and twice monthly chemotherapy. Needless to say, she and her family need your support. If you have the ability, please consider making a donation to this GoFundMe. We appreciate it sincerely in any amount. Thank you so much.
No matter what, please keep Marissa and her family in your prayers and thoughts. She/we need all of it. Thank you for loving Marissa. She truly is one of the most wonderful people in the world. Perhaps, as her sister, I am a little bias...but I believe it.