Mary Ellen's Medical Funds for Melanoma

[A recent visit home to Rhode Island presented our dear friend Mary Ellen with an unexpected and urgent diagnosis of Stage IIB Melanoma. As a Canadian resident, Mary Ellen was rushed to be seen at Massachusetts General Hospital Melanoma Center in Boston. Unfortunately, being cared for as an international patient, Mass General Hospital would not accept her Canadian Health Insurance for any of her appointments, biopsies, scans or surgeries. The good news is that Mary Ellen’s surgeries to remove the melanoma were successful. As a result of the scans she is now receiving follow up care and additional testing on Prince Edward Island. Out of pocket costs have been a huge financial stress. Please consider donating to help Mary Ellen offset this unexpected financial burden!]

Mary Ellen’s Story:

Our loving friend Mary Ellen traveled home to Little Compton, RI for Christmas 2023, from Prince Edward Island, Canada, where she has been living. Here, she was seen by a local Dermatologist for an inflamed lesion on her chest. At this appointment an initial biopsy was done, marked urgent and immediately sent to the Mass General Hospital Melanoma Lab. She had been examined earlier in the year at a walk in clinic in PEI, but the spot was thought to be eczema. The pathology report came back with a preliminary Melanoma diagnosis and it was recommended that Mary Ellen be seen directly, at Boston’s Mass General Hospital Melanoma Center.

Since Mary Ellen is a Canadian Resident, the MGH Melanoma Center immediately assigned her an International Patient Liaison. It was advised that this was the most expedient way into the hospital system and would fast track the process of her being seen by the MGH Surgical and MGH Oncology Team. After she had been informed of the initial diagnosis, she was also notified that her Canadian Health Insurance would not cover any of her appointments, biopsies surgeries, MRI’s, PET or CT Scans. With the urgency of the diagnosis, the decision was made to go ahead with the MGH Melanoma Oncology Team, regardless of the out of pocket financial cost.

In her first visit with the MGH Surgical Oncologist, the remaining mid-chest, soft tissue tumor/lesion was excised, and the second biopsy came back confirming Primary Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma.

Several scans were scheduled, including a PET-CT and CT scan, followed by a final wide surgical excision. Due to the size of her original tumor (13mm), Mary Ellen was considered to have Stage IIB Melanoma and the “wide excision” involved surgically removing all of the remaining tumor as well as an additional 2 cm margin of normal tissue.

The pathology report of the peripheral margins came back and the PET and CT scans showed that this is not the end of Mary Ellen’s journey to complete health, however we are certainly hopeful and have every reason to be.

We have started this GoFundMe page in order to ease the financial burdens Mary Ellen faces as a result of ongoing doctors appointments, medical treatments and international care. Mary Ellen’s melanoma diagnosis, the financial cost of the MGH Boston and all professional services have been stressful and quite overwhelming. Alleviating some of this financial burden would be a great blessing and greatly appreciated. If you feel called to contribute to Mary Ellen’s GoFundMe, it will be gratefully and humbly received. Sincere appreciation for all the concern and prayers that have already lovingly come her way!

Sincerely,

Erin Goulart Davis, Norah Eddy Kehaya, Maureen Kinnane Azize,

Mary Kate Kinnane, Janie Kinnane, Joyce Griffin Leisge