Melissa's Fight Against CF


Family, dear friends and all who have been touched in some way by Melissa Courchain (McGuigan), we ask you now to rally with us to help her through this challenging time. We want to help ease the financial burden this family is struggling with after extensive medical procedures and time spent in the hospital. All proceeds will go directly to Melissa. We want Melissa to focus on her new lungs and most importantly, the men in her life: Bobby, Austin and Scootcheroni. All she wanted was to start her little family.

Since Melissa was born and diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis, she has continued to amaze those around her with bravery, perseverance and positivity in overcoming her illness. You really can’t help but be inspired and in awe of her strength. Around Christmas in 2015 Melissa and Bob shared with us what would become just one of many miracles to come - she was pregnant. However, in June of 2016, while in her 3rd trimester, Melissa went into septic shock due to a powerful infection that began in her lungs. On the morning of June 30th, she went through a risky emergency C-section in order to save both her life as well as her child’s. Austin Robert Courchain was successfully delivered and taken to the Intensive Care Nursery, while Melissa was moved to the intensive care unit. Over the next few days, her family and friends remained by her side, praying for a miracle.

Shortly thereafter, it was determined that Melissa’s lungs were damaged beyond repair and she would need a transplant. She bravely fought through several more weeks on the ventilator with many ups and downs, during which Austin could sometimes be brought from his intensive care unit to say hi. Soon, Austin was given a clean bill of health and he headed home. Finally, Melissa got a second chance at life from a registered organ donor. She got her new lungs on August 19th, 2016 and it wasn’t long before she was awake and fighting again. She courageously powered through weeks of recovery, physical therapy and procedures until she was finally able to return home.

Melissa continued to impress us with her quick rehabilitation and she was finally able to bond at home with her husband Bob, dog Scootcheroni and of course - baby Austin. However, in December, Melissa became ill with another resistant infection and she was back in the ICU on a ventilator and required life saving support through continuous dialysis and ECMO because the ventilator was no longer working for her. Two days after Christmas, Melissa had an emergency surgery on one of her lungs and our prayers were answered when she came back with no complications.

Currently, Melissa is still under intensive care and fighting every day for her strength. She has been working tirelessly to wean off the ventilator so she can get home to her baby. Austin (aka Stinky Butt according to his Mom) is now 7 months old and anxiously awaiting her return. Grammy Marcella (Bob’s mother) has been living at their house to help look after him until Melissa is home.