Healthy Melissa in Casper

It was the middle of October while in Casper, Wyoming that I first heard about Melissa’s story. If you haven’t read the entry about her on the website yet I suggest you do. Read her story here. For a couple months I had a link to her story featured on the site. She was given three months to live with her current liver. The family’s, and the community of Casper’s, greatest Christmas present was a new liver for Melissa on December 5th.

Melissa has still been very sick and has battled back and forth with the new liver and now needs time to let the new liver settle into her system. Thankfully the level of pain she has been feeling has decreased significantly. She is still hopeful that she can return to Casper by the beginning of the second semester of school so she can do homework from home.

What is phenomenal is the continuing support from the community. Kelly Walsh High School was able to raise $3,200 just by auctioning off a Sony Play Station 3. Every dew days I received an update from Karin on Melissa’s status. It has been an inspiring for me to see what can be done from a community. Even my home church back in Baraga, well over a thousand of miles away from Casper, WY was able to pool together money to help pay the medical bills and traveling costs of the family. I’ve never met Melissa, but I’m honored to know about her and how strong she is, along with her family, friends, and community.