Melissa’s Breast Cancer Journey #melissastrong

Julie Roberts is organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Aaron Powell.

Donation protected

This is our beautiful sister Melissa. As some of you know, she has been diagnosed with Breast Cancer. Melissa is 38 years old, married to Aaron, who stole her heart at the age of 17. She is an amazing mama to Jonah (7) and Autumn (5). She is a supportive and encouraging sister, caring daughter and thoughtful friend to many. She always sees the best in people, seeing things through other people’s perspective and not just her own. Melissa lives her life with a “glass half full mentality” which is evident in the way she has chosen to respond to this life changing news. In a recent post, Melissa shared,

"Today is where I am living and so I will embrace you with open eyes, fully present in my moments, absorbing all the smells, touches, and feels. And oh how i’ll feel, ups and downs - crying and laughter - I will feel it all, all that is my life today. "

Melissa has always been very creative and this is evident in all she does. From the love she has for her marketing job, to her love for photography, she seems to simply captivate the beauty of the things that surround her. Whether it's her children, families, landscape, or food, each photo is a reflection of who she is and the joy she carries. Melissa has a special light and it’s because of this light she has such a large support group to see her through these difficult days that lie ahead.

Our sister was diagnosed with Invasive Ductal Carcinoma. Since then, her and her family have been thrown into a whirl wind of appointments, planning and the preparation that is needed before and during treatment. Along with this is all of the emotions that come from learning of this type of diagnosis. Here is what lies ahead for Melissa in terms of treatment:

Chemotherapy: 8 rounds / 16 weeks total

Double Mastectomy Surgery: 12 weeks recovery

Radiation : 3-5 weeks of treatments

Hormone Therapy: 5 years

She has been told this will be around a one year process.

We have started this page in hopes to remove any financial stress or burden from Melissa and her husband Aaron as they begin this long journey to fight this terrible disease.

So we ask, if you are able, to please support them any way you can. We admire Melissa’s bravery in sharing openly her journey and believe she will touch many lives in different ways. Follow Melissa on her journey, keep her and her family in your thoughts and prayers. Together, we will help see her through to a full recovery.

Thank you ❤️