Vanessa's Medical Bills

After the untimely death of her adored oldest brother in 2012, Vanessa, a wife, mother of four, and my dear friend, struggled through the fog of loss for just over a year before her second brother died in 2013. They were both 37 when they left this world. I have seen her grieve, accept, grieve some more, and ultimately overcome such devastating losses so that she could be the wife and mother she knew her family needed. Now, coming up on her own 37th birthday, Vanessa has yet another battle ahead of her. In 2014, she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and underwent a thyroidectomy last January. When it was discovered that the cancer had spread, she then underwent radioactive iodine treatment in March and may be looking at another surgery in the coming months.

After a rigorous application process, her eldest daughter, Meliana, was accepted to a thriving all-girls school where she could focus on her dream of becoming an animator and author. This young lady is the perfect manifestation of her mother’s never ending support, encouragement, love, and devotion – and she is just the beginning of Vanessa and her husband’s legacy of love.

Vanessa has never turned down an opportunity to give a friend an ear or a hand. She is a mentor. She is loyal and present with her friends and family through the good times and the bad. She always seems to know what to say to make it all better, and in the times she’s at a loss for words, we can count on her for a YouTube link to a song that will heal the heart. Our fan-girldom for Eddie Vedder may have been what brought us together as friends, but it’s her spirit, mind, compassion, and utter acceptance that keeps us that way.

It’s our turn to give back to her. Please help me support Vanessa and her family with her mounting medical bills as she works with her doctors to heal her body. It is my hope that her 37th year will be heartbreak free and filled with love and excitement for the future.