Melissa Hathaway's children need your support

We are heart-broken to share that our beloved Melissa passed away peacefully yesterday, surrounded by love in her home. Like the warrior she is, she fought as hard as she could, and remained positive until the end. So many beautiful stories and tribute have been shared since she left us. Melissa made an immense impact on everyone she knew.

Her love and light will be sorely missed.

Melissa’s passing leaves behind her two beautiful children, Caiden and Contessa. Faced with the challenge of grieving through this unimaginable loss, we will continue this fundraiser as a trust for Melissa’s kids. It takes a village to raise a child and we want to make sure the Hathaway family knows they are not alone. All contributions will be for her children and any expenses they need amidst their long road ahead. Please consider donating to support Caiden and Contessa, and help us wrap them up in the love… the kindness.. the solace they so need right now.

Melissa was a beautiful, vibrant, 33-year old woman. She is a mother, a yoga teacher, and works

as an instructional assistant at a special education/behavioral school working closely with the

middle schoolers. Living life to the fullest is the only way she knows how.

She has been practicing yoga since 2015 and began teaching in 2020. If you’ve ever taken her

class, you know she pours her heart and soul into her classes. She is a force to be reckoned

with… a true warrior through and through.

Yoga is her passion. She started having back pain, knew something wasn’t right in her body and

had to take some time off from teaching because her body couldn’t manage the movement.

Melissa’s world was turned upside down a couple weeks ago when she was diagnosed with

metastatic breast cancer, which has spread to her spine.

Melissa has 2 equally beautiful children. Sometimes you’d see them camping out at the studio

while she was teaching class. They are Melissa’s whole heart.

“Caiden who is 10 years old, is such a sweet loving young man. He is incredibly talented

in mathematics and loves all things athletics. Soccer is his favorite sport of all! He has

the most grounded sense of principles of any 10 year old I’ve come across. He makes me

so proud every single day with how helpful and considerate he is.” 

“Contessa, who is 8 going on 9 is a fiery soul who loves to sing and dance and hula hoop.

She absolutely loves her cat Hamburger and her swim team! She is small but mighty, not

letting anything get in her way. Always thinking of others and what she can do to put a

smile on their faces.  She never ceases to amaze me with her kind giving nature.”

She faces challenges ahead that no mother should face. She is still working right now at the

school, but hasn’t been able to practice or teach since January 2, 2023. Once she starts

chemotherapy, she won’t be able to work at all.

She has started radiation and bone strengthening medication. We are still waiting on pathology

reports on the cancer receptors so the right chemo plan can get set in place. Melissa is

currently going to appointments in Worcester at Saint Vs, but will soon be traveling to Boston

for visits with her medical oncologists at Dana Farber.

She remains positive and her determination will not be phased.

Melissa and her kiddos need our support. Along with helping to ease the burden with medical

expenses and treatments, funds raised would also go toward groceries, childcare, household

expenses such as rent, electric and gas, and fun activities for the kids. Let’s not only fill them up

with love and positive energy; let’s fill them up with the money that will be needed to get them

through whatever lies ahead for Melissa and her family.

If you are able to donate, please consider contributing to this campaign. Any amount helps and

will be greatly appreciated, both by Melissa and her family.