Melia’s Stomach Cancer Journey: Please help us support her.

Hi everyone, my name is Lola and I have set up this GoFundMe page in hopes to support my Mum, my brother Marley and I.

In December 2024, just before Christmas, our family received the terrible news that my mum, Melia, was diagnosed with stage 4 stomach cancer. With ongoing scans, she came to find out that her diagnosis was going to be harder to treat than expected.

Mum has a rare cancer called GIST (Gastro Intestinal Stromal Tumour), her mutation is still unknown to doctors and specialists. To this day, they are still working to find the appropriate treatments to assist with her condition. In February, mum had to undergo surgery to remove the main tumour along her stomach lining. This required significant amounts of help from family members during the recovery process and even further (greatly appreciated) help from close friends.

She is apart of a specialist cancer screening program that is testing the gene panel of her tumour to further guide any available treatments or clinical trials. Chemo and radiation have been ruled out as options as they will have no effect on the type of cancer she has. Even after removing her tumour, the cancer has metastasised to her liver and lymph nodes and at this stage, is still inoperable. In the meantime, she has been put on oral drugs which haven’t improved the spread or size of the cancer lesions. Her prognosis is unclear as the specifics of the cancer are still yet to be identified.

With the severity of mum’s condition, she was forced to step back from working and focus on her physical health - causing a financial strain on our family. For anyone who knows my Mum, knows that she carries herself with my brother and I at the forefront of her mind. She goes without if it means we have a better chance to excel in life. Working 2 jobs as a single mum, her typical work day would be 13-14 hours. Starting at 5am, she would work 8 hours as a barista, followed by support work which included cooking and cleaning for those in need. Her tiring efforts are the reason why Marley and I have a roof over our heads and food on the table. Without her, my brother and I would have next to nothing.

If you can and are willing to donate, we ask for any help that may assist with Mum’s financial situation - these donations being put towards utilities, medical appointments and daily expenses (groceries, petrol etc).

We are extremely grateful for the love and support we have received from everyone who has willingly contributed to helping our Mum’s health. Absolutely anything is kindly appreciated, thank you for helping our family and we hope that with the uncertainty that surrounds her condition, Mum’s health soon improves.