Melissa Lima’s Medical Expenses

“It’s not a brain tumor until it is” ran through my head when my mother woke me up at 1:38 am on the morning of March 2, 2023.

“Tom just called from the ER and they found a mass in Melissa’s cerebellum. We need to meet them at the hospital.”

As I fumbled for coherent thought and shook off the fog of sleep, I said a prayer of thanks for already being in town visiting family and not trying to catch the first flight from my home in Florida. I truly believe God puts us where we need to be, when we need to be there and clearly, I needed to be in Texas.

Fast forward 48 hours, two ambulance rides and a third hospital ER, doctors at Medical City Dallas confirmed a mass in Melissa’s brain which will require surgery. While we will not know the final course of treatment until after the biopsies and pathology return, we know that Melissa is looking at neurosurgery with a week long hospital stay, physical therapy and at least a 5-7 week post surgery recovery at home.

“Of course it’s odd because we can’t even…” (Melissa’s favorite math quote)

When the neurosurgeon showed the family Melissa’s MRI results, the first thing he said is “it’s odd.” The reality is that we do not know exactly what Melissa is dealing with yet and we are actively trying to not jump to conclusions until we have answers. The tumor envelopes the auditory nerve and there is a significant risk of permanent hearing loss and facial paralysis. Melissa and Tom plan to travel to MD Anderson Hospital in Houston for additional medical tests and treatment options.

As many know, Melissa teaches 7th grade Design (STEAM based problem solving and solution course) at Imagine Academy and she will not be able to return to work until she is cleared by her neurological team. In the meantime, though, medical deductibles, travel expenditures, and unexpected out of pockets expenses will continue to add up. All of this brings us to how you have the opportunity to be in the right place at the right time.

Many friends, family, and friends who are like family have reached out asking how they may help. With Melissa and Tom’s permission, I created this Go Fund Me to offer support to Melissa and Tom and their children, Benji and Bella, as Melissa recovers from surgery and doctors determine the next steps in her treatment.