Update:(12-27-25) Heading in to UAMS early Monday morning for transplant evaluations. Fingers crossed!

Update: (12-26-25) Doctors are moving forward with DDTT (Deceased Donor Total Transplant). The balance is delicate: Melissa must be sick enough to qualify, but strong enough to survive such a major surgery.

In October 2021, what began as a simple doctor’s visit for a twisted ankle changed Melissa’s life forever. Routine labs revealed abnormal results that set off a chain of tests and uncertainty. After months of searching for answers, she was finally diagnosed with Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency, a rare genetic condition that affects the liver and lungs.

In the early stages, her care focused on benign masses found on her liver and pancreas — but over time, her liver function began to decline. Despite every effort and countless hospital stays, it became clear her liver would not recover on its own.

Since May 2025, Melissa has been under the care of the UAMS Transplant Center in Little Rock. The distance between her home in Northwest Arkansas and the hospital has added not just emotional strain, but also tremendous financial and physical burdens.

In recent months, she has faced multiple ICU admissions as her heart, kidneys, and liver have all struggled — yet through it all, Melissa’s faith and spirit remain unshakable.

Melissa has been unable to work due to the neurological complications of liver failure (known as hepatic encephalopathy). Before her illness, she devoted her life to helping others as a counselor and psychology professor — and she hopes to return to that calling when she regains her health.

Melissa’s faith remains her anchor: “My faith is stronger than ever, and I know God has a plan.”

Now, she needs her community — her friends, family, and those whose hearts are moved by her story — to stand beside her. All donations will go directly toward Melissa’s living and medical expenses as she continues her fight for life and healing.