At the end of May 2024, our family received unexpected news. My dear sister, Melissa Berry, mom of two kids (Cody 13 & Emma 10) and wife of Trevor (Pastor at McKenzie Towne Church in Calgary), received news that she was diagnosed with Inflammatory Breast Cancer, a rare and aggressive form of Breast Cancer.

Anyone who knows Melissa knows that she is the kindest and most loyal person, and that she takes care of the people around her, and now I want to ask you all to help us take care of her and her family during this hard season in their lives. 

Here is a message from Melissa & Trevor:

At the end of May, Melissa went in for an appointment, and received the unexpected and heartbreaking news that she has cancer. The news of this diagnosis has sent shockwaves through our entire family. It's been a whirlwind of emotions, from disbelief to deep sadness.

The devastating news didn’t stop there. Not only does Melissa have a tumor (invasive ductal carcinoma), she was also diagnosed with Inflammatory Breast Cancer , a rare type of cancer (around 1%-5% of breast cancer cases) that is also very aggressive (this type of cancer spreads rapidly). Inflammatory Breast Cancer means it has also moved into her skin. Through further testing, it has also been revealed that the cancer has spread to her lymph nodes. Inflammatory breast cancer has been a difficult diagnosis to come to terms with, as the prognosis/5-year survival rates are significantly worse. At this point, the cancer is Stage 3, but Melissa is also undergoing further testing to see if the cancer has metastasized to other parts of her body (in which case it would become Stage 4.) 

As if this news wasn’t hard enough … at the end of April, Melissa had just left her job of 5 years (working in digital communications for a non-profit organization) to launch a business “Good Times MultiSport” - running summer multi-sport camps for kids in Calgary. Over the last 8 months, she has been building and pouring into this new business, and had just made the leap into this fully self-employed situation. She was anticipating a summer filled with energy and fun as she, together with her staff team, led kids sports camps. Her diagnosis has completely changed the situation. Not only did she need to cancel all the camps to pursue treatment, this situation also means Melissa has lost all of her self-employed income, and is unable to work due to treatment.

Treatment 

Melissa’s treatment will be aggressive and extensive. In the next month she will start with chemotherapy to shrink her tumor and hopefully prevent the spread of cancer to other areas. This will be followed by a surgery (a double mastectomy, where both breasts and several lymph nodes will be removed), and then radiation, and then reconstructive surgery further down the road in the coming years. Melissa’s doctors anticipate it will take a year, at a minimum, to journey through treatment. 

The Journey Ahead

We know we have an incredibly tough journey ahead. This next year will hold many physical, emotional, and other challenges for our family. 

 And we know we need the help of our community. We are already incredibly thankful for the kindness and support we have received from our network of friends and family. Any financial help will help ease the financial burden this cancer has brought, and will help our family to be able to fully focus on beating the cancer and navigating the next year with wellness and hope. Thank you for your kindness, support and prayers during this difficult time.

-Melissa & Trevor

How You Can Help

My hope is to set up Melissa, and Trevor, and the kids for the next 1 1/2 years so that Melissa can fully get back on her feet following treatment. Any financial support you can provide will help cover her loss of income, as well as going towards treatment and associated costs (things such as a wig, parking costs, prosthetics, supplementary medications, etc.), and will go towards increasing the quality of life during this extensive treatment.

We want Trevor and the kids to be able to support Melissa without financial worry as they go through this next season. 

Please consider donating to support Melissa, Trevor, Cody, and Emma in this heartbreaking battle. 

• No amount is too small, and every contribution brings us one step closer to alleviating the financial burden on this incredible family. 
• One time gifts are available and recurring gifts are extremely helpful for the next 18 months. 

And please consider sharing their story with others in your own network!