If you know my sister Melonie, you know how much light and laughter she brings into every room. She is kind, strong, and always the first to show up for others. Now, she’s facing something no one expects — a diagnosis of lymphoma.

As she prepares to begin treatment, she and her fiancé Carl are also making time-sensitive decisions about their future family, including preserving Mel's fertility before chemotherapy begins. Along with travel expenses, medical bills, and cold capping, the financial weight of this journey is overwhelming.

We’re asking for your support as she shares her story below — and as we rally around her with hope, love, and strength.

As most of our family and friends know, the last 5 months have been a whirlwind of changes in Carl's and my life. Let alone how the last week has felt with how quickly our lives can change. Most of you know the beginning of my cancer story, but the last week everything has changed.

(Short version at bottom**)

To get the full story, I want to start at the beginning of all of this. Late October, I went to the emergency room, and they noticed a mass on my thymus and told me to follow up with my family doctor. I was sat down by the doctor and told my CT shows I have Thymoma. He said I needed to be prepared because I was now going to be a cancer patient. Leaving that appointment, I knew nothing about having a thymus or what Thymoma was. This was the beginning of all the things you have to deal with having cancer. I had to drive to all my family members and friends and explain I had cancer and explain what a thymus and Thymoma was. ((The thymus is a specialized primary lymphoid organ located in the upper chest, behind the breastbone and between the lungs, that is crucial for the immune system. Thymoma is a rare, slow-growing cancer of the thymus gland in the chest, often associated with autoimmune diseases like myasthenia gravis.)) So I went through a lot of tests, received more blood work than I knew was possible, and saw neurologists and oncologists until I ended up with a thoracic surgeon at The Cancer Center in Hershey. I went through a month of being very scared I might have MG, an autoimmune disease that came along with having a Thymoma. Luckily, after a lot of testing, they said I did not.

I also went to my gynecologist because Carl and I were trying for a baby before my Thymoma diagnosis. I was told as long as I was not going to get chemo or radiation, it wouldn't be a problem. This was a relief because I want to be a mom and Carl wants to be a father. After my MRI, they were ready to schedule my thymectomy, and I was told no chemo or radiation would be needed. I was told as long as everything went well with removing the Thymoma, I'd be cancer-free. This surgery also entailed them collapsing my lung and removing part of my thymus, which meant my immune system would be compromised, but I was right at the edge of aging out of needing my thymus for my immune system. So, on January 30th, I went to Hershey and successfully had a VATS thymectomy. I woke up after about a 6-hour surgery, and the first thing I asked was if they biopsied my tumor. The doctor very confidently told me he was sure it was a Thymoma and they had successfully retrieved all of it. So, even with as much pain as I was in from the surgery and the chest tube, I couldn't have been happier. This meant I was cancer-free, and this chapter was over; Carl and I could start our life again. I was in the hospital for three days and felt great going home. For almost two weeks, I was recovering great and was ready to be released from the cancer center's care on the 17th of February.

Then my entire outlook on my life was changed with a single phone call on February 13, exactly 14 days from my surgery. The thoracic surgeon's post-op nurse called me and told me pathology had a report for me on my tumor. I expected to be told I had stage 1 Thymoma and all was good. Instead, I was told I had been misdiagnosed and I actually had lymphoma, which would be the last word I heard her say that day on the phone. At that point, I had Carl and my mom handle the rest of the phone call.

Like I said, I went into shock hearing the word lymphoma. I thought it couldn't be true; I was cancer-free, how could this be happening? They explained that Thymoma and lymphoma both grow on the thymus because it is part of the lymphatic system. It is very rare for them to mistake them, but it does happen. So, I had a very invasive thoracic surgery really for no reason. The biggest issue now with getting the thymectomy with lymphoma is it now has weakened my immune system tremendously and also has put getting more tests done on a wait period since I just had surgery in my chest, so it puts a risk to my heart. After having 3 days to take in that I had lymphoma, I was told I'd have to find a new oncologist who treats it, so I did some research and I ended up deciding to go to Fox Chase Cancer Center. So far, they have been nothing but great, especially with communication. They have called and explained every step forward, and within 2 days, they had received all my records and imaging from Hershey with no bother to me. They also called me and had a 30-minute phone call about fertility and cancer treatment. Like I stated above, this was not a concern with Thymoma because I would not have chemo or radiation. Hodgkin's lymphoma is a totally different ball game, and at my age with no children, they recommend I see a fertility specialist, and they expressed that they highly, highly recommend doing some sort of fertility preservation. As overwhelming as all the information had been to that point, nothing prepared me for the overwhelming day speaking to a fertility doctor the next day, only 5 days after being told I have lymphoma and would need chemo. The fertility clinic explained all our options for preservation and also explained the cost, which made our heads spin. 10k-25k depending on the treatment we would need and absolutely no payment plans. Unfortunately, Carl and I had no time to prepare mentally for all of this, let alone prepare financially. Payment for all fertility is due in full within 24 hours of treatment. But we have no choice because the oncologist is telling us I could be infertile or even sterile after chemo and radiation. The saddest part for us is we had just started trying for a baby last year before all this cancer stuff started. So, we spent the $450 and went to our first fertility consultation the next day because my oncologist can't start chemo until the fertility is done, so we are on an extreme time crunch compared to people choosing to seek help with fertility. At the appointment, when they gave me an ultrasound and told me I'm fertile and would have no problem making a baby naturally, I cried immediately because life is unfair. How unfair for me to have to deal with this on top of cancer when I am not infertile, but I am now in a position that most likely I will lose some sort of fertility during my cancer treatment. This is why Carl and I are asking for help. We have also filled out every oncology grant for fertility we can. We hate to have to ask for help, but we dream of being parents, and now because of this cancer, that dream is going to possibly be taken away unless we take preventative actions by freezing my eggs before I start chemo. I will start my chemo and radiation plan at the end of March, so I need to be done with all my fertility stuff before then. Carl and I appreciate any help that is given. We will be using this for fertility and for traveling to treatment and expenses during treatment like medication, cold capping supplies, and whatever else is needed. We both are so happy we have the family and friends we do and all the support. This has been the toughest situation we have dealt with to this day, and asking for help was not an easy decision, but cancer gave us no choice because we have no time to make these life-changing decisions, let alone plan financially for them. We appreciate everyone who has taken the time to read all of this and share this. Carl and I completely understand if you cannot donate. Also, to everyone who worries they are bothering Carl and me by reaching out to us, please never feel that way. We can use all the support because life is so stressful and hard right now. If we don't immediately answer, please give us time; we will eventually answer when we have time. We appreciate all the kind words. We are hoping for the best out of treatment and hopefully one day soon I will be cancer-free.

**Short version**

I was misdiagnosed with Thymoma; I actually have Hodgkin's lymphoma and now I need chemo and radiation, which puts my fertility at major risk. So the majority of this is for freezing my eggs so if chemo makes me sterile, we still have a choice in having children like we've dreamt of. I also will be traveling a lot to Philadelphia and will be cold capping to try to save my hair. Anything is appreciated, and we are so grateful we have friends and family for support. If you are unable to donate, we completely understand. If you are able, please share this on social media. It would be greatly appreciated. We have been thrown into this whirlwind only for a week now, so all support is appreciated.

Thank you all again. We truly appreciate all of you and all the support we have received during this overwhelming past week.