In loving memory of Marissa

On September 12th, 2023, our beloved Marissa’s fight with cancer came to an end. With Chris by her side, Marissa left us for whatever comes next. She fought to the very end, like only Marissa could. 

Chris is pleading to please refrain from sending flowers, food or other gifts to the house while he and Marissa’s family see to her final wishes. The best way to make your support and love known at this time is by donating here to help with Marissa’s final medical bills. You can also leave words of comfort in the comments on the CaringBridge site: https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/marissaq/journal/ 

Please direct any questions you may have to us so we can keep Chris and Marissa’s family unburdened at this time. 

We are heartbroken, we are shocked, and we are also so grateful to have had Marissa in our lives for the time we did and the community she surrounded herself with. 

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Year 3: We’re Still Here and We’re Still Fighting

For 2023 we’ve increased our fundraising goal by another $20,000. Thanks in great part to Marissa’s age and extremely healthy lifestyle, she continues to surpass the expectations of her prognosis and bring sunshine and joy to so many. But the day-to-day is hard, expensive, and extremely itchy. Chris has transitioned from his burgeoning career to caregiver-first in order to better address Marissa’s needs at home and their relationship is deeper and stronger than ever (we genuinely could not have imagined it was possible for these two to love each other more than they already did but they’ve proved us wrong).

Marissa’s insurance premiums, along with literally the cost of everything, continue to climb. Please consider reupping your 2022 donation, and share this fundraiser far and wide. The fight continues and we simply couldn’t do this without your financial support and love.

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Update: New Year, New Medical Bills

For 2022 we've increased our fundraising goal by an additional $20,000. This amount is less than 50% of the shortfall Marissa and Chris are experiencing in their household this year due to continued high medical expenses ($16,000 minimum) and Marissa's income decreasing by $30,000 as she's stopped working and started receiving disability benefits.  

Marissa and Chris are continuing to fight this cancer every day, and we can't thank you enough for your support as finances are tighter and more stressful than ever. Please share this fundraiser far and wide as we all join together to help two people so deserving of support. 

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In late 2020, the ethereal mermaid we all know and love as Marissa Quimby was diagnosed with liver cancer (specifically: multifocal hepatocellular carcinoma in the setting of hepatic adenomatosis). Currently, there is a large tumor extending from the right lobe of her liver, with several more inside her liver.

Marissa’s condition at her age and health is not only a shock but also incredibly unique. Fortunately, it was caught early and Marissa has the A-team coordinating and administering her care and treatment. While primary care is through Kaiser Permanente, she has also been able to consult with the eggheads at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA) and University of Washington’s Liver Tumor Clinic. Marissa had been undergoing immunotherapy treatments since January 2021 but is about to switch to Sorafenib, a chemotherapy drug that doctors feel will be better suited to where her treatment now needs to be. She is taking on the toughest health journey of her life with grace and beauty as she does all things.

If you’re here, chances are you already adore Marissa. She plays endless roles in her work and life, is a constant support to those she loves, and brings joy to everything she touches. But insurance is a nightmare and medical bills are relentless. For those of us carrying banners in the Marissa fan club, we wanted to give her loved ones the opportunity to help in the one way Marissa (and Chris) would never ask us to: donating.

Marissa was able to change her insurance in late 2020, however with all the tests, consultations, scans, and appointments she quickly racked up $7,000 worth of bills in November and December 2020, an additional $5,000 in bills to-date for 2021, and expect at least $4,800 more on top of that (they already hit their out-of-pocket maximum of $7,500 for 2021) with uncertainty as to what the rest of this year holds. Our friend Math says "this is a lot."

We know for many, 2020 was an incredibly hard year and 2021 has been more of the same. Marissa and Chris were not immune to the economic impacts of the past year. If you have the means, please help us slay Marissa’s medical bills so she and Chris can focus on what really matters: kicking cancer’s ass.

We know that some of you have already donated to Marissa and Chris —THANK YOU!

We want to emphasize that Marissa and Chris are eternally thankful for all the love and support they have received from friends and family, but we are also aware that starting a campaign like this can lead to a wave of outreach all at once which is very overwhelming during such a private and challenging time. While we all want to send love and good thoughts their way, in lieu of contacting them directly, please leave a message on the campaign page or their CaringBridge page so that Marissa and Chris can read them when they are ready: https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/marissaq

**CaringBridge donation confusion** Please be aware that CaringBridge can make it seem that donations to the site are directed toward Marissa. They are not. We suggest this Gofundme.

If you wish to share this campaign with others you know who know and love Marissa and Chris, please do so. Let's all slay some tumors and medical bills for our fave fighter, Marissa!

Note: donations to Marissa’s medical bills campaign are considered to be gifts for which no quid pro quo exists.

Campaign photo taken by Ernie Sapiro.