Few of us will ever give as much care to others as Melissa (Mel) Wahito Thande has in her young lifetime so far. It’s time for us, now, to give her the care she needs to heal so that she can keep living her remarkable life.

A registered nurse for 17 years, Mel has spent immeasurable time & energy in service to others’ healing and recovery. For over a decade, Mel worked at Tacoma General Hospital; most of that time in the Intensive Care Unit on the night shift, fighting her own body’s natural rhythms for the sake of providing skillful Critical Care to patients (and their families) in their most vulnerable moments.

Mel has generously contributed her time & labor in community service many times, from volunteering as medical staff at day-long local events to serving on the medical team at a non-profit summer camp for LGBTQ+ youth, to giving one-on-one support to individual community members navigating the medical system to find essential care.

The many years Mel spent doing inpatient hospital work took a major toll on her well-being, and some of the impacts of that grueling work are present in her body to this day. In recent years, Mel has accepted some huge pay cuts in order to work in less stressful environments, and has reduced her working hours to make her employment sustainable. While her wellness has improved in many ways, these transitions (and other major life events) have exhausted all of the savings Mel once had. She was diagnosed with breast cancer recently and she has no financial cushion to sustain her through the difficult journey ahead.

Because Mel’s current role (at an outpatient clinic at Virginia Mason hospital in Seattle) is ‘per diem,’ it includes no paid time off. And because she has been in her workplace for less than a year, she does not yet qualify for FMLA coverage.

Anyone going through a major health challenge deserves all the support & care they need to make it through and be well again. It’s a painful injustice that the very system through which Mel has administered so much life-saving care to other people will not be there for her in her own time of need. As members of Mel’s communities, we must be the ones to show up for her, sharing resources to help her through this difficult time.

Mel will be getting a double mastectomy on June 26th, and a course of chemotherapy starting 4-8 weeks afterward. Luckily, her cancer was discovered early, so the treatment will be effective. Still, it’s a major procedure to recover from. Mel will need to take at least 2 months off work. She may need more time off (or reduced hours) once chemotherapy begins. Thankfully, the type of chemo she’ll receive is not the most depleting kind, but we don’t yet know how her body will react to it.

As far as we know, Mel’s medical procedure costs will mostly be covered by insurance, but her living expenses during her healing time (rent, bills, groceries, etc) will not be covered. (In Seattle, these living costs are HIGH!) Many necessary support supplies & medications, and supportive therapies (such as acupuncture & massage for scar tissue) will have to be paid for out-of-pocket. Unexpected medical charges that are not covered by insurance are likely to be added, as is often the case with hospital care.

The goal of this fundraiser is to afford Mel the time, spaciousness, and care that she needs to heal thoroughly and well; to hold her in our generosity, love, and abundance so that she can experience security during this intensive process and focus her energy on her wellness, instead of on worrying how her bills will get paid.

If you would like to make a direct contribution (without the processing fees from this site), you can give a fee-free donation to Mel any time via these platforms:

Venmo: @mel2tha (To find her, type "Melissa T" into the searchbar and scroll down for a bit - there is a sideways photo of Mel in a yellow shirt)

Cashapp: $mel2tha

Zelle: Melissa Thande (please message for the number to use on this platform)

If you would like to cook or sponsor a meal for Mel & her caregivers (&/or offer support with occasional tasks), check out Mel’s Meal Train page here: https://www.mealtrain.com/trains/znlgve/

Please share this fundraiser with your personal & social networks. Every contribution helps, and together we can make a HUGE difference in the life of someone who has given so much - a difference that will impact her forever. Abundant care in this moment is crucial to Mel living the long & happy life that this world needs her to! She and her loved ones are so grateful for your support.