Hello everyone,

My name is Krista, and today I’m reaching out in hopes that you can help my amazing sister, Melissa.

Thirty-one years ago today, our father passed away from cancer at just 45 years old. Now, heartbreakingly, my little sister is fighting the same disease—only this time, we’ve since learned that the BRCA2 gene has played a devastating role in the speed and severity of her diagnosis.

Melissa is a vibrant 40-year-old mom to two beautiful children, Ellie and Grayson. For years, she has poured her heart into her work as a self-employed hairstylist. She has always put her clients and her family first, giving everything she has to make others feel cared for. But now, she is the one who needs care and support.

Just weeks ago, Melissa was diagnosed with a very rare and aggressive form of breast cancer called inflammatory breast cancer. It affects only about 1–5% of all cases, making it especially difficult to treat. This news has shaken our family to the core. Watching my mother relive this nightmare—first losing her husband, and now seeing her daughter face such a cruel illness—is something I can hardly put into words. It’s crippling.

Melissa has already begun intensive chemotherapy. The months ahead will be incredibly tough, involving chemo, surgery, and radiation. We are holding onto hope that because it was detected early, she will beat this.

But this is where her fight becomes overwhelming—and where we desperately need your help.

Chemo is taking a major toll on her body. She is extremely fatigued and immunocompromised. Her medical team has stressed that she needs rest and must avoid exposure to anyone who may be sick, as even a minor infection could become life-threatening.

Because Melissa is self-employed, she has no access to Employment Insurance, paid sick leave, or health benefits. The moment she stops working—whether to rest or avoid getting sick—the income for her family is drastically cut. Her clients have been incredibly kind, often canceling if they aren’t feeling well, but even these well-meant cancellations add up financially. Her coworkers have been an amazing support and work to ensure Melissa’s clients are well taken care of in her absence.

To make things even harder, her partner Greg was recently laid off from his job in the non- for profit work sector due to a company restructure. His income and benefits disappeared almost overnight, leaving their family facing financial strain at the worst possible time.

This has put Melissa in an impossible position: choose between resting her exhausted body or pushing herself to work so she can continue to provide for her children. Neither option is fair. Both Melissa and Greg are the type of people who would give the shirts off their backs to help anyone—but they would never ask for help themselves. So I am asking for them.

As her sister, it breaks my heart to watch her force herself to keep going when she should be focusing on healing. She deserves the chance to rest, recover, and spend precious time with Ellie and Grayson without worrying whether the bills will be paid. My mom and I are doing everything we can, but we can’t carry this alone.

This fundraiser is to help cover the income Melissa is losing as she undergoes treatment and to ease the financial burden weighing on her family. Our goal is to support them through the next 6–8 months of active treatment so she can focus on what truly matters: beating this cancer and being here for her children.

Please, help us make sure Melissa’s fight is against cancer—not finances. She has so much life ahead of her, and we want her to be there for every milestone Ellie and Grayson will experience.

If you’re able, please donate and/or share Melissa’s story. Every contribution and every share gives us hope and eases the stress.

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

Krista