Support for Melissa O'Neill
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Our dear friend Melissa O’Neill was rushed to the emergency room for a bleeding ulcer on Labor Day in 2019. She subsequently spent 5 days in the ICU, during which a surgical procedure was needed to block an artery feeding the ulcer. At that time, the doctors then discovered a mass below her stomach.
Then on Oct. 14th she was rushed to the emergency room because of pain and pressure in her abdomen. A CT scan revealed that no food or liquid was getting through, and doctors had to drain her stomach through a nose tube for the next three days until surgery.
She underwent the Whipple surgery Oct. 17thto remove the mass, along with ½ of her stomach, her gall bladder, ½ of her pancreas and a large part of her small intestine. She then spent a week in ICU, and 10 days in extended recovery. The mass was found to be pancreatic cancer.
Though the doctors were able to remove the affected cancerous area, there were cancer cells found in her nearby lymph nodes, so she was prescribed a rigorous chemotherapy treatment of 12 sessions over six months.
For the next two months, Melissa faced a long recovery at home from surgery to heal before chemotherapy, enduring two infection setbacks in the incision in her stomach.
After her first chemotherapy session on Jan 2nd, she suffered a setback with diarrhea and dehydration and was hospitalized for three days, delaying her second chemotherapy treatment.
After her second chemotherapy session, she suffered a third infection in the incision. Doctors had to open her up again for three weeks of triage/packing, again delaying her next chemotherapy session.
She completed her third chemotherapy treatment on February 12th, and has been stable since then.
Melissa has an ileostomy which needs constant monitoring. Her weight from the start of this journey was about 128 lbs. It was as low as 99lbs. She is now 102 lbs. and it has been very difficult for her to gain weight during this lengthy and exhausting process.
Melissa is a music teacher at Wayzata High School and has taken an extended leave due to her health. Tom had a long term substitute teaching job which started in September, but had to leave it to care for Melissa. He still has a part time accounting job and sings at Spirit of Hope, where both Melissa and Tom have been in the Praise Quartet for 25 years. Melissa has been able to sing a few times this year, but would love to get back to singing every Sunday! They are also trying to help their son Ian, who is in his first year of college.
We are full of hope that she will come through this, but the financial burden of chemotherapy and the many hospital visits is immense, especially without Melissa’s teaching income.
Many of you have asked how you can help… this GoFundMe is one way. Please help this lovely, dear and amazing teacher and singer get back to doing what she does best: giving to her kids in her choir, and singing beautifully! Any amount you can give will make a difference. Thank you!
Then on Oct. 14th she was rushed to the emergency room because of pain and pressure in her abdomen. A CT scan revealed that no food or liquid was getting through, and doctors had to drain her stomach through a nose tube for the next three days until surgery.
She underwent the Whipple surgery Oct. 17thto remove the mass, along with ½ of her stomach, her gall bladder, ½ of her pancreas and a large part of her small intestine. She then spent a week in ICU, and 10 days in extended recovery. The mass was found to be pancreatic cancer.
Though the doctors were able to remove the affected cancerous area, there were cancer cells found in her nearby lymph nodes, so she was prescribed a rigorous chemotherapy treatment of 12 sessions over six months.
For the next two months, Melissa faced a long recovery at home from surgery to heal before chemotherapy, enduring two infection setbacks in the incision in her stomach.
After her first chemotherapy session on Jan 2nd, she suffered a setback with diarrhea and dehydration and was hospitalized for three days, delaying her second chemotherapy treatment.
After her second chemotherapy session, she suffered a third infection in the incision. Doctors had to open her up again for three weeks of triage/packing, again delaying her next chemotherapy session.
She completed her third chemotherapy treatment on February 12th, and has been stable since then.
Melissa has an ileostomy which needs constant monitoring. Her weight from the start of this journey was about 128 lbs. It was as low as 99lbs. She is now 102 lbs. and it has been very difficult for her to gain weight during this lengthy and exhausting process.
Melissa is a music teacher at Wayzata High School and has taken an extended leave due to her health. Tom had a long term substitute teaching job which started in September, but had to leave it to care for Melissa. He still has a part time accounting job and sings at Spirit of Hope, where both Melissa and Tom have been in the Praise Quartet for 25 years. Melissa has been able to sing a few times this year, but would love to get back to singing every Sunday! They are also trying to help their son Ian, who is in his first year of college.
We are full of hope that she will come through this, but the financial burden of chemotherapy and the many hospital visits is immense, especially without Melissa’s teaching income.
Many of you have asked how you can help… this GoFundMe is one way. Please help this lovely, dear and amazing teacher and singer get back to doing what she does best: giving to her kids in her choir, and singing beautifully! Any amount you can give will make a difference. Thank you!
Organizer and beneficiary
Elena Glass
Organizer
Minneapolis, MN
Melissa O'Neill
Beneficiary