Dear Friends, Family and Community,

On Tuesday, September 20, 2022, our sister Melissa was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Her doctors were very optimistic; faced with such a severe diagnosis, we were all terrified. The good news was that they believed she had a great chance that this was a benign tumor. She required immediate surgery. This type of Tumor was a routine operation; recovery would be difficult, and she would have permanent hearing loss on one side; she would likely recover quite well with some therapies over a few months.

Her team of neurosurgeons performed a successful 8-hour brain surgery that week on Friday morning. She did well in surgery, and the team removed about 90 percent of the tumor. It was confirmed as a benign tumor. However, since they could not get it all, she would need to undergo another surgery in about six months and radiation treatment to get the rest of it. We understood, but that's six months from now, and we were thrilled at the recent surgery’s success. Yay…Wait… Not so much…

Two weeks and a day later, and now THREE “successful” brain surgeries behind her, multiple procedures, and several unanticipated postoperative complications… Our sister Melissa remains in the ICU at Rush University Hospital in Chicago, where she is slowly starting to show progress and make gains in her recovery. Due to the current situation, our sweet as can be big sister, will be hospitalized for some time. Additionally, doctors anticipate Melissa will need to go directly into rehabilitation when discharged from the hospital.

Melissa’s strength is remarkable! Melissa wants to be home with her husband, their sixteen-year-old daughter Gianna, and doggy daughter Gemma. She has been through A LOT. Yet, Melissa still manages to see the good in everything. She has maintained a sense of humor, often cracking jokes about the situation and laughing with us daily. Most importantly, in true Melissa fashion, she has maintained her status as a faithful and loyal Chicago Sports fan.

This GoFundMe aims to support medical expenses and future costs associated with an extensive therapy plan to address Melissa’s physical, emotional, and cognitive problems related to her surgeries. Even with insurance, the medical bills for Melissa's surgery and weeks-long hospital stay are substantial. And with Melissa being out of work for a significant and unforeseen amount of time, the family will lose part of their income until she is well enough to work again.

Please keep Melissa in your prayers. Cards and messages of support are encouraged.

Melissa Delfiacco

2333 South Sixth Avenue

North Riverside, IL 60546

Thank you for reading, and please share with anyone who might want to lend a helping hand to help our extraordinary sister, who has always shown up for us. ❤️

Rachel & Hannah

October 4, 2022

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