Welcome to Team Melissa's Missies and Misters Fundraising Page!

Please support our efforts to raise funds for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. This will be the 9th annual run for team Melissa's Missies and Misters.

We initially decided to participate in the CIBC Run for the Cure as an annual event for family and friends of Melissa so that we can continue to acknowledge our journey, give back and help make Breast Cancer Beatable. Melissa has now fought and successfully beat the beast two times, once in 2016 and recently in 2021/2022.

Since the inception of the team we have all had loved ones, family and friends, diagnosed with breast cancer and unfortunately we have lost multiple family and friends. The run takes on even more meaning every year for each one of us. We will never stop running.

Here is the story of Melissa's journey that started this off:

Melissa's first battle occured at the young age of 33. Melissa was three months pregnant and discovered a lump in her breast. Doctors were certain it was superficial, but removed it and performed a biopsy anyway. In December, 2015, at 25 weeks pregnant, Melissa and her husband Joel received the news that she had Stage 2B Triple Negative breast cancer. 

Melissa had a lumpectomy and sentinel lymph node biopsy during the 28th week of her pregnancy, where it was discovered that the cancer had spread to some of her lymph nodes. Three weeks later, she began her first chemo treatment. Melissa had 2 chemo treatments before delivering a healthy baby boy on March 26th, 2016.  Chemotherapy resumed two weeks later, with much stronger drugs due to the fact that she was no longer pregnant.  This landed Melissa in the hospital twice due to her low white blood cell counts while leaving a 6 week-old baby at home!  Melissa’s village of Missies and Misters stepped in to help in any way possible. 

Melissa’s final chemo treatment was 6 years ago on June 10th, 2016 and on August 22nd, 2016 she completed the last of a summer full of radiation therapy treatments. We thought we had put the battle behind us. 

In 2021 Melissa again discovered a lump in the same breast as the first. Just when she had reached 5 years clear of cancer, Melissa was diagnosed with Estrogen Receptor Postive Breast Cancer. It was absolutely devastating to learn that we would have to begin this battle again.

Melissa under went surgery for a single Mastectomy with an attempted immediate reconstruction but unfortunately that failed so two more immediate surgeries were necessary to first try to save the reconstuction and second to remove the failed reconstruction all within 4 days. 

Melissa started chemotherapy again right before Christmas 2021 and continued for a total of 16 treatments. Chemotherapy felt a lot harder for Melissa this time around but she battled through with support from Melissa's Missies and Misters once again.

Melissa has now had her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed to aid in prevention of recurrence. She has also had two more surgeries as part of the reconstruction process for her breast with the use of her latisimus dorsi muscle, a tissue expander and finally a permanent implant this past December. Melissa also takes daily medication to suppress any natural hormones to also aid in prevention of recurrence and receives injections every 6 months to ensure the cancer does not spread to the bones. This battle is not quite over but days are feeling closer to normal all the time. 

Every day, 70 Canadians will hear the words “you have breast cancer.” While these Canadians are living longer, healthier lives after a breast cancer diagnosis, but there is still so much work to be done. 

By participating in this year’s Canadian Cancer Society CIBC Run for the Cure,  we’re joining a collective that is a force-for-life in the face of breast cancer.  We’re running in honour of all the incredible people in our lives, and we need your help!  
 
Please contribute what you can to our fundraising. Every dollar makes a difference. Your donation will fund ground-breaking research to help save the lives of more Canadians and provide support programs for people affected by breast cancer.  
 
Did you know that just $100 could fund two hours of life-saving research in a world class laboratory? Your contribution could lead to the next breakthrough! 
 
Together, we can change the future of breast cancer. 
 
Thanks in advance for your support!