Melissa's Seeking Beauty in the World Fund

Hi Everyone,

 

My name is Chris, and I am organizing this campaign on behalf of my beautiful and strong mother. For those that know my mom and family personally, you are aware of this incredible woman who is grappling with an unfathomable medical diagnosis. For those of you who haven’t met her, please allow me to introduce my warrior of a mom, Melissa.

 

 

My mom, who is just 54, is currently battling Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. While our family and friends are struggling to wrap our heads around this diagnosis, we remain positive as a family and gain immense strength from our support system. My mom is focused on living her life day to day and as a family, we are committed to helping her make the most of each one she is given. In addition to day-to-day support, she has asked for us to help her experience and immerse herself in the wonders and beauty of the world she has always been hoping to see.

 

Here is her story… In the spring of 2020, my mom requested time off from her full-time job to prepare for, undergo, and recover from necessary foot surgery. During this same time, she also had to devote full time care to my 96-year-old grandmother. Limited funds have created an impossible situation where it has prohibited the hiring of in-home caretakers or consideration of assisted living facilities to help with the care of my grandmother.

 

 

My mom dedicated her entire career and over half her life, 27 years, to one company. During her recovery period and while simultaneously selflessly helping my grandmother, her company created numerous administrative hurdles which took advantage of her vulnerable situation. After advocating for herself on an incredibly open and forthcoming level, continuously needing to explain her personal health situation in addition to her need to care for her aging parent, the company ultimately refused to grant her time off and created an opportunity for them to take advantage of her situation and terminate her employment with them.

 

Following the loss of her lifelong career and as she was still in recovery from her foot surgery, she began experiencing consistent pain in her abdomen in the late spring/early summer of 2020. As the pain intensified, she was seen by her doctor who discovered gallstones and recommended unexpected and emergent gall bladder surgery in June 2020.

 

During the procedure, surgeons discovered cancer in her pancreas, where she soon after received a Stage 1 pancreatic cancer diagnosis. Treatment began as soon as she was strong enough from her gall bladder surgery. She endured multiple rounds of intensive chemotherapy in preparation for surgery to remove a substantial portion of her pancreas and spleen, followed by months and months of post operative chemo and radiation lasting into the winter of 2020–2021; all hoping to contain her Stage 1 diagnosis.

 

 

In June 2021, my mom began experiencing further, consistent pain in her lower abdomen region which rapidly intensified into yet another emergency surgery to remove her appendix. It was during this surgery that we received the news none of us were expecting or hoping to hear. Her doctors confirmed with us that her cancer had metastasized to both her appendix, liver, and lymph nodes, resulting in a Stage 4 diagnosis. The discovery of the rapid escalation from Stage 1 to Stage 4 pancreatic cancer in just 9 months has been a shocking and overwhelming revelation. Throughout all of this, she has been unable to look for work and continues to provide care for my grandma, with the help of our family. We feel thankful that her day-to-day living expenses and medical treatment/care are supported through government assistance programs and her family. However, we are limited in what we can provide financially for my mom and that is proving to be an unfortunate barrier in giving her the quality of life she deserves and is seeking out during the remainder of her time with us.

 

My mom has always had a passion for traveling and seeking out opportunities to create memorable moments for herself and loved ones. Being the adventurous soul she is, my mom is focusing her energy on crossing a few very special items off her bucket list. We want to give my mom the opportunity to fulfill and make as many dreams come true for her as possible when she is feeling well and is in between her treatments. Her dreams are filled with beauty, wonder and passion but just out of reach financially, and this is why I am reaching out for your help and support! If you are willing and able, your contribution (no matter how big or small) will help to make her dreams come true.

 

Some items on her bucket list include attending a Pittsburgh Steelers and Penguins game in their home arenas. She is a passionate lifelong Steelers fan and had hoped to sit just once in Heinz Field and wave her Terrible Towel with her father. That dream was cut short by my grandfather’s own loss to cancer. We can’t go 2 for 2!

 

 

She has dreamed of sitting one last time in the sun on a quiet sandy beach and snorkeling the ocean amidst the wonders of wildlife and she would love to experience the mystical magic of the storybooks she shared with us as kids by taking a leap through Platform 9 3/4.

 

Lastly, she has never seen the Rockies and experienced the cloud shrouded mountain tops; to her, a beautiful gateway to Heaven.

 

If you know my mom personally, you know how big and caring her heart is, how infectious her smile and laugh are, and the willpower she musters to carry on through life’s most difficult times. Even if you are not able to donate, please, please, please share and repost this fundraising opportunity as much as possible! And if anything, sending good thoughts, positivity, love, and prayers will help uplift my mom and our family. Thank you for taking the time to read our story and we give endless thanks to our friends, family, and community who choose to contribute to our campaign.

 

With Love,

 

The Martsolf Family