Help Marissa Fight For Her Miracle

Nothing in life prepares you for the word “cancer” especially when you are a 37-year-old wife and Mom of two small kids. In October 2022 Marissa was nursing her ten-month-old baby when she found a lump in her breast. Initially, her family physician thought it was a blocked milk duct but two months later she was diagnosed with stage IV triple-negative breast cancer. With just one small metastasis to her liver, her oncologist treated her with an aggressive chemotherapy regimen with the intent of a cure. With two small children at home, a cure is the only option and this was a new opportunity to see how God would provide!

Marissa is someone I’ve always looked up to, she’s the typical big sister, protective, disciplined, and smart as they come but what has always been her best attributes is her work ethic and determination. She used her gifts to pursue a career as a pharmacist but it wasn’t long after that she ultimately traded in her white jacket for a construction hat when she purchased a commercial playground company from our dad to follow her entrepreneurial spirit. She spent the last seven years putting in hard work, sweat, and tears. She truly gives her all in everything she does. Marissa served many of the Midwest school districts, working tirelessly to meet the demands of the industry and provide for her family. Marissa married her husband Spencer nine years ago and together they have two sons, Remington (5) and Stihl (2). They are truly the light of her life.

In the year since the diagnosis, Marissa has endured 16 rounds of chemo, immunotherapy, five biopsies, countless blood draws and finally, a phase I drug trial. She even followed a strict plant-based diet and drank A LOT of green juice. Praise the Lord, HE made her tough and in her weakness HE gave her strength. Because of the intensity of the battle she was about to begin, she chose to step away from her business and focus on her faith, health, and her family.

Unfortunately, chemotherapy didn’t provide Marissa with the clear scans she was praying for. In July, she found out she had a great response to therapy in her breast but the lesion in her liver had progressed. They offered to ablate this lesion, which was effective, however, a new spot showed up just two months later.

Swinging for the fences since the beginning, Marissa and her oncologist decided that exploring drug trials was the best option. Marissa and her mom explored options at MD Anderson, Mayo Clinic, and finally selected a trial at Avera Health in Sioux Falls, SD.

The therapy they chose was a first-in-human trial for a drug called TAK-186 (it worked really well in the mice!). She started this therapy on October 17th and pushed through weekly side effects that included nausea, vomiting, rash over 60% of her body, vision issues, tear ducts not functioning, and swelling to her face. Despite these side effects, imaging showed the drug was working remarkably well with a 60% reduction in the size of the tumor in her liver. Her good results did not outweigh the most recent side effects, which caused her hands and feet to swell to the point that she was unable to walk or care for herself. At the beginning of January, she was informed that she was no longer able to participate in the trial due to the severity of the side effects.

Marissa’s background as a pharmacist has helped her research during this whole process. In the world of cancer, there seems to be two camps- those who believe that modern medicine is the only way and those who believe your body can heal itself with natural support only. Marissa believes the answer is somewhere in between. In August, she began seeing a naturopath and is using several supplements along with high dose IV vitamin C to support her immune system following chemo. The cost of these treatments is over $6000 per month and not covered by insurance, but when cure is the only option- you have to throw the kitchen sink at it!

A cancer diagnosis on its own is challenging enough, but life doesn’t stop just because someone says you have cancer. In August, Spencer was laid off from his position as a manager at a local credit union. This position wasn’t just a paycheck but also their health insurance- which is incredibly expensive. Since then, he has been seeking a new position and helping with the kids as much as possible while Marissa was dealing with the side effects of the treatment she was on. Then, after many tears, Marissa made the difficult decision to part ways with her business permanently. She spent the past eight years pouring herself into the company, however, God made it clear she wasn’t supposed to return to it.

God continues to provide, even in the most challenging of circumstances. So, here we are- what is next for Marissa?

After being removed from the drug trial, Marissa and her oncologist discussed her options. Chemo is the only therapy that insurance would cover at this time. Because her blood counts are still recovering from her previous rounds of chemo, she isn’t a good candidate for more chemo at this time. With the support of her oncologist, Marissa plans to seek intratumoral immunotherapy with PEF ablation at the Williams Cancer Institute followed by dendritic cell therapy through the Houston-based company, Immunocine. She has spent a great deal of time researching both therapies and speaking with physicians and other patients who have had these treatments. The good news is that she has very limited disease which makes her a great candidate for these treatments. The “God will provide” news is that insurance does not cover any portion of these treatments.

The cost of these treatments is overwhelming and they are seeking financial support from family and friends.

Marissa is planning two treatments at the Williams Cancer Institute which will cost approximately $50,000 each. The therapy by WCI will inject immunotherapy directly into the remaining tumor and ablate the tumor with pulsed electric field ablation. The medications used for this are very (VERY) expensive, and in traditional therapy can run +$50,000 per dose.

The dendritic cell therapy by Immunocine uses a technology recently fast-tracked by the FDA for glioblastomas. This therapy will cost $70,000.

The total cost of these two therapies will be between $200,000 and $310,000. Our family knows Marissa will be healed and we are walking in faith that God can take care of this cancer but sometimes He uses the medical field. We know Marissa has an assignment to raise her boys and fulfill her daily prayer of seeing them get married, and we wholeheartedly believe she will do just that.

Today is a new and exciting opportunity to see how God will provide- and HE continues to do just that!

We prayerfully ask that you pray for her as she goes through this treatment. If you can contribute to some of the costs, we thank you.

We understand not everyone is in a position to help financially! 

Other ways you can help:

If you would like to support Marissa but would prefer to send a check, these can be mailed to:

Marissa Bauer

PO Box 113 Zimmerman, MN 55398

VENMO: Marissa-bauer-5