MELISSA'S LIVER TRANSPLANT AND CHEMOTHERAPY HELP PLEASE

A message from Melissa’s Mom:

Hello everyone. It has been a while since updating this page. I would like to give my heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you for the gifts you have given to this fund. I want to tell you that these funds have and continue to help with Melissa in this cancer journey. I want you all to know that you have literally helped save her life.

Let me explain. These funds have helped with insurance, co-pays, out-of-pocket costs, her multiple visits to cancer care in Boston, holistic therapies, organic food, her life-saving second opinion in Houston at MD Anderson and her testing and evaluation's at Houston Methodist.

This afforded Melissa, the opportunity to travel three times so far to Texas to get the proper testing done and become eligible for a liver transplant ,the only life saving method for this horrible cancer!!

Now we are needing funds for her to move to Texas with her fiancé and her cat for about a year, unless we get a living donor match (then she'll be in Texas for about six months). She is currently still in chemo therapy treatments and has just found an apartment in Texas. Once insurance goes through (pray to God it does) she will be officially 'listed" for a transplant and has to leave for Texas immediately. There are a lot of moving parts which include working remotely, putting jobs on hold here in Rhode Island, moving her things to Texas, and continuing with chemotherapy and other therapies while she waits for a donor.

The time constraint is tight because right now she has stable disease so still has the tumor, but it hasn't spread outside the liver, if it does spread outside the liver, then she cannot be a candidate for a transplant. Time is of the essence because there's only so much more chemotherapy she can take and you can't stop any therapies because the cancer is super aggressive.

Thank God for all of you ,you are all heroes and you've made this possible. Melissa and Brian are packing now, and just waiting for approval. I assure you that every penny used has gone to helping her and saving her life.

I know we have asked a lot and if you can't give, please share the link with as many people as you can and on as many social media sites as you can, and please keep praying.

This community has been amazing and I can't be more grateful. God bless you all.

With Gratitude

Melissa's mom (Mindy) ,Melissa, Brian and Simba

Hope all is well Its been a few months since my last update. As you all know, we traveled to Houston, to MD Anderson, in May. Melissa saw a renowned specialist in the field of cholangiocarcinoma. He offered many ideas and different options and therapies for Melissa. Things over and above her treatment in Boston. Dana Farber, Brigham and MGH have been amazing) ❤️ She is awaiting insurance approval and has had a few video conferences during this waiting process. In the meantime, Melissa has been living life as normal as possible, with a resolute mindset that inspires all those around her. She has been working at the farm and remote and enjoying her summer. Something her and Brian have made a priority, is to live life, love and support each other day to day. ❤️ It's been about 9 1/2 months since her diagnosis; she has experienced words you never want to hear in your lifetime like cancer and survival rates. She's been through a biopsy, portacath, 18 or so rounds of chemo and immunotherapy, lots of side effects and a multitude of appointments. We all had to get through the feeling of hopelessness and fear, we've cried and are processing vast amounts of information all the time. We also got angry, then prayed, but Melissa has not taken the role of victim, yet she is conquering this with every aspect of her being. Her life has been filled with an unwavering and loving fiancé, the most amazing friend circle and loving family. As myself and our family has our supportive extended families and also a sensational friend circle to which we owe much love and gratitude to.❤️ Melissa looks great and is feeling well, but this inner "beast" of a cancer takes a lot of mental acuity and physical effort to fight. To be where she is now, from that horrible day in November, only gives us hope of her healing herself because she sure is trying. We are still traveling to Boston to do an every other week chemo regiment, followed by a visit to Lisa for her Neulasta shot (keeps her WBC's elevated) This new regiment since May has been just the 2 chemo's one of which she has built up an allergy to. So some scary sessions and stressful days for sure. We've been waiting for more insurance authorization to go back to Houston and it finally came. ( Just in time since tolerated the chemo this time around, has been trying) Melissa, Kim and I will be heading back to Houston this week (while Brian, Andrew and Kevin manage the jobs, animals and households) She will be seeing and meeting new doctors and specialist at Houston Methodist, quite a big team, and having a few more procedures and lots of testing done. Then will be home and she/we will try to go back to our accustomed lives and hurry up and wait for more result and hopefully some promising news. I want to restate the gratitude we all have for ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT. We don't always have a chance to get back to you right away, but we eventually get there and if I have forgotten to update any of your personal messages, just know that I hold you all in my heart. Melissa is so grateful and humbled by you all but she must stay in the present to mentally get thought this. We have all truly learned to live day to day. No one knows the future. We are praying so hard and living a grateful and sharing life to honor her and God, her ultimate healer. ❤️ Mark 2 - Jesus healed a paralyzed man because of his friends faith. THAT IS WHY HER CIRCLE MATTERS !! ❤️❤️ Please keep praying for Melissa as we do for you and this list of people we found in need of prayers along the way. Cancer or a terminal illness is not easy to navigate, please feel that you can reach out to me and ask question if you need help with yourself or a loved one. Navigating appointments, grants, insurance, finding organizations and the best doctors, spiritual care, holistic and Chinese medicine, and many healing therapies, I've been piloting this course for months. I will try to help in any way I can. Right now that is how I can give back. We all have struggles and personal battles, DON'T do it ALONE. Community and strength is hope and and perseverance. 

 Love you...

Here's a series of pictures that are more meaningful then can be explained❤️ It's been 4 months and 6 days since the heartbreaking news of Melissa's cancer. She has had a biopsy, biomarker testing (showing a promising gene mutation FGFR2), 3 CAT scans, ongoing shots of Neulasta (to elevate her WBC count), 2 courses of antibiotics, 2 different long-lasting eyelid infections and a Port placement. She is in the middle of her 6th cycle of Immunotherapy and Chemotherapy (6 Immunotherapy treatments, Durvalumab and 12 chemotherapy treatments, Gemcitabine and Cisplatin).She has dealt with side effects, pain and lots of general discomfort. So, how is she doing? Liver pain is going away, tumor markers are decreasing with every visit and her latest CT showed overall shrinkage of the tumors !! This girl is fearless and so strong ❗️ I can not say we've been embracing a "new normal" what is "normal" anyway. I can say we have discovered that life is a journey and within this journey, are these struggles, we are finding strength and ways of overcoming. My inspiration has been Melissa ❤️ She has had the worse news anyone can get but is determined to LIVE and to enrich her life! She is training her brain to be happy and her body to be healthy. We can only honor her by following suit Love your family, that includes your animals. Simba, Melissa's cat, is there giving unconditional love, helping her and Brian get through some of the worst days. They (we) have embraced our art and hobbies with a deeper meaning, it helps with the calm energy and with patience. Healing includes turning to nature, hiking, exploring, sitting at the ocean and dare I say riding a horse. Melissa and Brian practice the art of energy and meditation. It has played a crucial role in their well being. We all have been practicing caring for ourselves, this means doing a mental reset, ground your energy, Practice gratitude and forgiveness. LAUGH OUT LOUD, AND DO IT OFTEN Clean eating ! It's amazing how this is helping. Healing your microbiome in your Gut (trust me, a learning process for sure) Take a spiritual Path. Thank God, Pray, and really trust in Him All of your support, love, kindness and fundraising has been amazing and resonates to our soul. Words can not express how thankful we are to family, friends, colleagues and strangers. I have to thank Melissa's Doctor and team at Dana-Farber, Friends and technologists at Brigham and Womens, Her new team that will be helping from Mass General and MD Anderson. Opinions from MSK. The countless researches and fellows that have grants just for CCA and the strides they have made, just in the last 4 years. The help of the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation, and the support groups. One of which Melissa befriended a young girl (28)from Canada who has the same type of cancer and same stage. Thank you for having her and our family in your minds and taking time out of your own busy schedules for house calls, visits and helping with other family members. A huge village for sure.❤️ Faith over Fear my friends ❤️ We don't know what the future will hold, there are so many avenues that she may be able to take from clinical trials, surgery and many other specialized techniques. With this multidisciplinary team we can only have HOPE ❤️ Please continue to Pray - We can feel it ❤️

It been a while since I'v updated on Melissa's progress:

She has had some bumps in the road this last 3 weeks, with side effects of the immunotherapy and chemotherapy. We've had to take a couple extra trips up to Boston, including Mass eye and ear. The medicine for low WBC's also had side effects.

She is strong though and rebounding! She has had 3 cycles of Chemo /IT which equals 3 rounds of Immunotherapy and 6 rounds of chemo. Her latest CT scan showed less dense tumor and a small amount of shrinkage ! We will take that small win for now❤️

Life is truly a day to day event ,some being good, some not so good. The clean eating, holistic approach along with acupuncture and Qigong is helping. ❤️

The major support and outpouring of love from all you has truly filled us with gratitude for each and every one of you❤️ Thank you for the messages, gift, cards, donations, and helping hands. All the family picking up the slack and friends helping our entire family in the background !! ❤️

There is so much more than that. Just knowing many of you are praying is so helpful has well. Thank you, for showing us that we are not alone.❤️❤️ With Love...

With the most sincere thanks for all of you, from our family ❤️

Melissa, Brian, Kim, Andrew, Mike, Kate, Jaxon, myself and Kevin

We are raising funds for our sweet Melissa (Max) and her family. She was diagnosed suddenly with Stage 4 Cholangiocarcinoma, which is Cancer of the bile ducts.

This is a very rare cancer for someone of her age. Melissa & her family need all the prayers, love and support that they can get at this time. They will begin Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy treatments, and have teamed up with some incredible Doctors at Dana Farber.

She is additionally seeking a holistic approach for treatment simultaneously to address the strenuous physical, mental, emotional and spiritual components of her health. and nourishing herself with only organic and natural resources. They have been driving to Boston several times a week and we are hoping to offset some of the medical and other costs for them as they take time from their lives to focus on wellness. Please consider a donation to Melissa and her family and above all, Please PRAY daily for them.

Thank you - 

**PLEASE NOTE THAT THE 'TIP' WILL DEFAULT TO 16% TO A GENERAL FUND (not melissa) YOU NEED TO CHOOSE "CUSTOM TIP" AND YOU CAN SET TO -0-