Hi, my name is Alaynah, and I’m creating this GoFundMe for my mother-in-law, Melanie Ashby.

Melanie is the heart of our family, a mom of four, a proud “Memaw” to three, and the kind of person who would give you her last dollar, her last ounce of energy, or the shirt off her back if you needed it. She’s always been the one to show up for everyone else. Now she’s facing something no one ever thinks will happen to them, and she needs us to show up for her.

On June 3, 2025, Melanie was at work when she suddenly became dizzy and weak. Her blood pressure dropped, and she started showing signs of a stroke. She was rushed to the ER. The first scans didn’t show a stroke, but what they did find was even worse: a tumor in her chest.

Over the next few weeks, Melanie endured test after test, biopsy after biopsy, and endless waiting for answers.

On June 12, 2025, while FaceTiming her four children, the people she loves most in this world, she was told the words no one is ever prepared to hear: “You have cancer.”

The entire month of July was filled with appointment after appointment and after two failed biopsy’s, she was finally scheduled for a risky robotic surgery on August 1, 2025.

While still under anesthesia, doctors finally identified the cancer: Lymphoma.

Now we’re waiting…waiting to find out what stage it’s in, waiting to know if it’s aggressive, waiting to plan for what comes next. But in the meantime, Melanie is out of work. She’s facing mounting medical bills, upcoming treatments, and the fear of how to hold everything together when life feels like it’s falling apart.

It breaks my heart and honestly, it makes me angry, that our healthcare system is built in a way that someone fighting for their life also has to fight to afford it. In the middle of the hardest battle of her life, Melanie shouldn’t have to worry about bills or survival beyond her health. But this is the reality we’re facing, and this is why we’re turning to the kindness of others.

Melanie has spent her entire life comforting people, fighting for them, being their strength on their worst days. Now it’s her turn to be on the other side of that fight. And it’s our turn to fight for her.

If you’re able to donate, share, or even just send prayers and love, we would be so deeply grateful. Anything you can give, big or small, will help ease the weight of what’s ahead and remind Melanie that she is not in this fight alone. You can donate directly through this GoFundMe or cash app Melanie: $peacelovehappy4 or send her donations through Zelle using her phone number.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you. Thank you for reading her story, for sharing it, for donating, for praying and for simply caring. Your love and support mean more to Melanie and our family than words will ever be able to express.

P.S. If this GoFundMe is the first time you’re hearing about Melanie’s diagnosis, please know it’s not because we wanted to keep anyone out. It’s because this has been an incredibly overwhelming and terrifying time for our family. We’ve been processing the news and trying to find our footing as we navigate what’s ahead. If you choose to reach out to Melanie, we ask that you do so gently and with kindness. She deserves nothing but love, patience, and empathy right now.