Melissa's Medical Expenses

Update: Melissa’s Cancer Has Returned

Dear friends, family, and supporters,

It’s with great sadness that we share an update on Melissa’s journey: her Acute Myeloid Leukemia has relapsed.

Unimaginably, this news came just five days after the tragic loss of her younger sister, Jenny, to suicide. Melissa received confirmation of the relapse the day before Jenny’s visitation and celebration of life. The timing has been shattering, grief upon grief.

Melissa is now back in the hospital for a minimum of 30 days, undergoing a new, more aggressive round of chemotherapy. This phase includes new chemo agents, growth factors, and a long road toward remission. But even if remission is reached, the journey doesn't end. Melissa will need a bone marrow stem cell transplant, an intense and life-altering procedure that replaces her immune system from the ground up.

She is heartbroken, scared, and still reeling from Jenny’s death. At the same time, she’s facing this next chapter with a grounded sense of clarity. She knows what’s ahead and recognizes the familiar, compassionate care team standing with her once again.

While Melissa fights in the hospital, her husband Shelby is holding down the fort at home with their two young boys, Isaac and Asher. This has been an incredibly heavy load-emotionally, practically, and financially. Melissa is the heart of their household. The one who organizes school, playdates, sports, meals, and daily life. Being away from her boys during such formative years, especially after all they’ve already endured, is agonizing for her.

This GoFundMe exists to help ease the very real burdens this young family is carrying. Hospitalizations, time away from work, childcare, meals, and daily logistics are all taking a toll. Your donations make a direct difference, allowing Melissa and Shelby to focus on healing, grieving, and loving their boys through this storm.

Every message, every donation, every act of kindness is deeply appreciated. Thank you for standing with Melissa, Shelby, Isaac, and Asher, especially now, when they need it most.

With gratitude,

Melissa’s Family & Village