On July 8 Melissa was diagnosed with life threatening Acute Leukemia and was immediately hospitalized to begin treatment.  For the next 6 weeks Melissa battled her cancer receiving treatments to combat a variety of medical problems associated with her diagnosis. This included massive doses of antibiotics to fight off infections, pain medication to alleviate the pain of mind-numbing headaches caused by her differentiation syndrome, a side effect of her leukemia and countless platelet and blood transfusions. All of this was on top of her leukemia treatment which incorporated chemotherapy using Arsenic trioxide.

Through it all she remained a rock for her family and an inspiration to all that watched her battle. After 6 weeks of this grueling regimen Melissa was released from the hospital to continue her treatments on an outpatient basis, which will entail 8 months of treatment at an infusion center.  This treatment plan will keep Melissa out of work for an unknown amount of time.  As happy and grateful as we are that Melissa is returning home to her family another obstacle has been placed in her recovery; Melissa's insurance will not cover outpatient medications. These treatments are incredibly expensive, and we are respectfully asking for your help. Any donation, no matter how small will be gratefully appreciated. As cliché as it sounds "every little bit helps".