You might not expect a 29-year-old woman to be featured on the KS95 for Kids® Radiothon. Melissa, however, is an exception. She is not only a long-term cancer survivor, but an employee of Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare as well.
“I’m excited to share my story during this year’s KS95 for Kids Radiothon,” says Melissa, who now lives in Crystal, Minn. “KS95 for Kids has raised a great deal of awareness and money to help kids who are battling cancer and living with disabilities.
“As a cancer survivor, I know the importance of research in increasing cure rates and the role Children’s Cancer Research Fund and the University of Minnesota Children’s Hospital, Fairview play toward that end,” she continues. “And as an employee of Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare, I can personally attest to the great work being done to enable kids with disabilities to live normal lives.”
Melissa’s battle with cancer began on April Fool’s Day 1995 when she was diagnosed with composite lymphoma, a combination of two types of cancer — Hodgkin’s disease and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma — occurring at the same time. At first, Melissa's family doctor thought that a lump on the right side of her neck might be a sign of mononucleosis; but the following week Melissa noticed lumps forming on the left side of her neck, as well. It turned out that she had Hodgkin’s disease on one side of her neck and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma on the other side. In addition, a mixture of both cancers appeared in her mediastinum (the area in front of her heart).
She began treatment at the University of Minnesota Children’s Hospital, Fairview. To treat her unusual condition, Melissa received mixed chemotherapy — nine months of it — followed by one month of radiation. She was impressed with her care. “I looked forward to coming to treatment, because everyone at the hospital cared so much,” she says.
Melissa was a junior in high school when her cancer was diagnosed. However, she never let chemotherapy or radiation treatments slow her down. She missed only a few weeks of school. She continued to be involved with all school activities, was nominated for homecoming royalty and graduated second in her class.
A sensitive issue for a teenager is the hair loss caused by chemotherapy. Melissa coped with the loss of her hair in her own unique way. She admits, “I used to be one of those people who really worried about appearances. Once I got to the hospital and started to lose my hair, I realized I couldn't let the materialistic things bother me so much.”
She and her mother Nancy shopped for a wig for Melissa to wear to school. But as she watched her hair growing thinner and thinner, Melissa decided to take matters into her own hands. She and her sister, Amy, headed for the family bathroom and shaved her head with their father's razor. “I ended up with Band-Aids all over my head,” she recalls. “Sometimes I wore my wig to school, sometimes I wore a baseball cap, and sometimes I just didn’t wear anything on my head at all.”
Melissa completed her treatment in December 1995. She returns every two years to the University of Minnesota for checkups at the Children’s Cancer Research Fund Long-Term Follow-up Clinic.
As a result of her experiences, Melissa entered the healthcare field and is working as a pediatric physical therapist for Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare. “I wanted to go into pediatric physical therapy, just to give something back after what I went through,” she says.
2008 will be a big year for Melissa. She’s not only a physical therapist, but she now assists with running a clinic. She serves as the Site Operations Manager/Rehab Supervisor for Gillette’s new Maple Grove clinic, which opened in January. She supervises a rehab team of seven people.
Melissa has overcome cancer, become a long-term survivor and excelled in her profession. What’s next for her? Motherhood. She and her husband Scott are expecting their first child in May.
Listen to Melissa's Story Here
<< Back to Meet the Kids
