Melanie’s Cancer Journey

Dear family and friends,

It’s never easy to ask for help, but I am seeking your support for the Chavez family as they battle cancer. As many of you know, Melanie was recently diagnosed with Stage IIIB Invasive Ductal Carcinoma Breast Cancer. Because she tested positive for HER2 the doctors said they needed to move quickly and aggressively.

On March 13, Melanie went in for an overdue mammogram. They called later that same day to get her back in the next day for an ultrasound and biopsy of the left breast and nodes in the armpit. Unfortunately everything came back as positive for cancer, and after an MRI and CAT scan they also found cancerous cells in her neck and near the chest bone, which means it was metastatic. This was a shock to all of us. No one really plans for this type of news, and before we really had time to process it, Melanie was getting started with treatment. On March 21st, she had surgery to implant a port into her chest. The port is used to administer the chemotherapy and fluids as needed. March 30th was the first chemo treatment. There was a lot to learn and accept in just a few short weeks!

As of today, Melanie has completed 6 rounds of intense chemotherapy (TCHP) and is ready for the next step. On June 28, another MRI was performed and this time they could not see any signs of cancer! To make sure that the cancer is completely gone and hopefully will not return, Melanie will continue with her doctor’s recommendations and treatment plan. This includes a double mastectomy, 4 weeks of radiation, and another year of chemotherapy using the Herceptin agent. She is very excited for her hair and taste buds to return!

Unfortunately, due to her days of chemotherapy, illness, and many, many doctor appointments, Melanie is currently out of PTO (paid time off), so she will not have an income during upcoming appointments, surgery, and recovery. While she is ready to get back to work and normal life, she will certainly need time to recover before she is able to do so.

We are humbly requesting your financial support to help Melanie as she undergoes a Double Mastectomy on August 17 and radiation this fall. Any donation amount, whether big or small, will surely make a difference and be greatly appreciated. This will also relieve a little bit of stress from the family so they can focus on health and recovery.

Any and all funds raised will go towards the upcoming medical bills as well as family household expenses and school supplies for the new school year as Melanie recovers.

Melanie is a wife and mother of two young boys and is fighting every day to be able to be there for her family.

Thank you for your support.