Help Maelee Fight Cancer, Again

She’s only 15. She’s already been through so much. Now she has to do it all over again.

 I’m writing this with a heart that’s broken but full of hope. My daughter, Maelee, is just 15 years old—about to turn 16—and she’s already fought cancer once. Now we’ve learned she has to fight it again.

 Maelee’s Story Last year, Maelee was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. It turned our world upside down. She went through surgery where they removed her entire thyroid and 33 lymph nodes. It was painful. It was frightening. But Maelee faced it with more strength and courage than most adults ever have to muster. We thought the worst was behind us. But recently, we received devastating news: the cancer is back. This time, it has returned in some of her lymph nodes, and she’s now facing another round of treatments, surgery and possibly radiation.

 At just 15 years old, Maelee has been through more than most people go through in a lifetime. She’s supposed to be planning for her sweet sixteen, learning how to drive, going to school dances, and dreaming about the future. Instead, we’re back in the waiting rooms, back with the specialists, back in the hospital. And Maelee? She’s still fighting. With grace. With quiet bravery. But she shouldn’t have to do this alone.