Help Nerissa Fight For Her Life

One of the scariest words you can ever hear is Cancer.

What if one day you were told that you had cancer? What would you do? What would you say? What would you tell your family? Would your life flash before your eyes with the uncertainty of what your life is going to be like? Would you cry and scream and say, “Why me? What did I do to deserve this? Am I going to make it or am I going to die?”

These are all questions that you would never hope to say in your lifetime. But here we are and thank you for being here.

My cousin, Nerissa Obras, was diagnosed with Breast Cancer a day before her 46th birthday. This was definitely not the birthday present she wanted to receive. What alerted her that something was wrong, was not a suspicious lump that was found around her breast, but rather bloody discharge that was leaking out from one of them. For all women, we are taught our whole lives to watch out for any abnormalities from our breasts. It is a routine so common that you forget its purpose until you experience something wrong. It then turns into a feeling so terrifying that forces you to seek medical attention, having a series of tests performed (a mammogram, bloodwork, x-rays, ultrasound, biopsies, etc.), leaving you helpless, scared and paralyzed, waiting until the test results return, all the while hoping and praying that your fears were all for nothing. This is what Nerissa had experienced when she received the news on October 22, 2024, that confirmed that she had breast cancer.

Nerissa always knew that she wanted to help people. She went to nursing school and received her BSN, but wanted to do more and pursued higher education. In 2022, Nerissa graduated from UCLA with a masters in Nursing. She has been a nurse for over 17 years and has spent most of her career in the ER saving countless lives.

Nerissa has been married for over 22 years to her husband Joe and has two beautiful daughters, Kalani and Kalea. Her eldest daughter, Kalani, is autistic and has special needs that requires 24/7 care. While Nerissa works full time, Joe is Kalani’s full time caregiver. He is a hardworking and wonderful father that helps Kalani with all her needs, and also tends to Kalea with school and all of her extracurricular activities outside of school. In Joe’s spare time, he does contract photography and videography to assist financially. Nerissa’s mother, Nellie, is retired and also resides with them. Nerissa is primarily the sole breadwinner of the family and pays for the expenses of the household.

Breast cancer is a highly progressive disease that spreads at an increased rate and could possibly spread through other parts of the body, if not caught and treated early. It is because of this scary fact that Nerissa has decided to undergo a double mastectomy, removing both of her breasts. This is a major surgery that will require her to be hospitalized for several days, with a recovery time of a few months.

We are asking for your help to ease the burden for Nerissa without the added stress of financial concerns during her recovery. As the sole breadwinner of the family, her hardships will be tremendous at this time. Nerissa has been a first responder, rendering help to those in need. Please consider helping her as she has done for so many others.

Your generous donations will go directly towards:

No amount is too small, and every contribution will make a difference.

If you are unable to donate, please consider sharing this campaign with others to help spread the word.

And to all the women reading this, please take preventative measures to get checked out.

Together, we can help Nerissa focus on healing, knowing that she has a community of people who care deeply for her.

We are beyond grateful to have this platform to spread the word to all those willing to help Nerissa. Please keep her in your prayers throughout her courageous battle with breast cancer.

From my entire family, Nerissa, and I, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts, for your support, love, and generosity.

Let’s fight this cancer together!!