Melissa Baz's Recovery Fund

On Thursday, January 15th Melissa Baz visited the hospital for a scan of her midsection due to what she thought was a slight hernia.  Her doctor instead found a cancerous tumor on her kidney, as well as what seemed to be a tumor on part of her liver.  Because both organs seemed to be affected, it was initially believed the tumor had spread from her kidney to her liver, which is classified as Stage 4 cancer and is a very serious diagnosis.  This was a huge shock for Melissa and those close to her, as she hadn't had any other symptoms, and the confusion and fear were understandably overwhelming for her.  After meeting again with her surgeon, it was determined the best course of action would be to remove the affected kidney and part of the liver, and start a round of oral chemotherapy once her recovery from surgery was complete.  Melissa checked into the hospital on January 27th and underwent surgery the next day, all the while hoping and praying for a positive outcome.  After a successful surgery, she was thrilled and surprised to hear the kidney tumor had not spread, the liver tumor was most likely benign, and she wouldn't need chemo after all.  She is now beginning her recovery period, which is difficult, but she is physically strong and her prospects are excellent.  
Throughout her life Melissa has been a positive light to so many people who have met her, and consistently gives her time, resources, energy, love, and friendship to those around her.  When she first learned of her diagnosis, so many people from the many communities she's a member of asked what they could do and volunteered to help out.  Over and over, the consistent sentiment was that Melissa is such a wonderful person and does so much for others, and she deserves as much help as we can give her.  

Because she has been told by doctors the recovery period for surgery should last about 4-6 weeks, she will potentially be out of work during that time.  Melissa cuts hair for a living and has many loyal, longtime customers, but she is self-employed and doesn't have the security of a larger company with sick time benefits.  She will have continuing medical costs in the upcoming months for prescriptions, doctor visits, and other health-based expenses resulting from her diagnosis and surgery, as well as the cost of basic living.  Because of this, we're hoping to raise funds to offset these costs and circumstances, and let Melissa focus on her recovery 100%.  Any small amount our donors are able to contribute is so gratefully appreciated, and will give her peace of mind during what could otherwise be a very stressful time.