Our beloved Melissa — spouse, parent, sibling, child, professor, mentor, and friend to so many — sustained a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) after being thrown from her horse on Friday, August 29th. She was in a coma for two weeks. Though the first days felt overwhelmingly hopeless, new expert insights and subtle signs of progress renewed our hope. Nearly 7 weeks later, Melissa is no longer dependent on any means of life support and is increasingly able to communicate. Though Melissa’s healing journey will be long, her inspiring courage and strength continue to amaze us.

In the meantime, her spouse Nicky is doing everything possible to keep the family steady while caring for their two young children, Mar (5) and Rami (3). The road ahead may bring many months — or even a year — of single parenting, navigating medical needs, and finding ways to keep the family financially stable — especially after losing their job to care for Melissa and their children. Nicky is eternally grateful to all community members — truly a village — that have stepped up to support the family.

For those who know Melissa, you know her as brilliant, compassionate, and deeply committed to her students, her loved ones, and her community. For those just learning their story, know that she and Nicky have built a home rooted in love, laughter, and resilience. Their children adore their Zaza (their name for Melissa), and they need her warmth and presence to return to them.

This GoFundMe page is a way for friends, extended family, colleagues, and kind strangers to walk alongside the Pitsavas-Wilcox family during this unimaginably hard time. Your support — whether financially to help with meals, childcare, medical bills; words of encouragement; or simply sharing this page — will make a meaningful difference and allow Nicky to focus on caring for the kids and supporting Melissa’s recovery.

Thank you for being part of the circle holding this family up. Every act of kindness lightens their load on the long road toward healing.

For those of you who prefer Venmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/npitsavas