Melissa Brooks is a pastor’s wife and a loving mother of four.
She was born in Danbury, CT and grew up in rural New Hampshire where she developed a love for gardening and the outdoors. She earned her bachelor’s at Bob Jones University and married Mark Brooks in 1992. Mark and Melissa moved to Wisconsin that year and have lived there ever since. Mark is pastor of Heritage Baptist Church in Cedarburg. Melissa has remained busy as a mother of four, a pastor’s wife, a violin teacher, and recently owner of a small cleaning business.
On March 15, 2012 Melissa had a wonderful day celebrating her 44th birthday with her husband and kids. The next morning, she woke up with a pain in her stomach. After two nights in the emergency room that weekend, a CAT scan revealed a raquetball-sized mass deep in her abdomen in the mesentary tissue near the aorta and the blood vessels that serve the intestinal tract. Emergency exploratory surgery and extensive tests revealed that she has a rare cancer that doesn’t even have a proper name yet. It is sometimes referred to as “double hit lymphoma” or “gray zone lymphoma.” The area is inoperable and radiation is not an option. There is no recognized treatment proven to be successful so far, but chemotherapy has yielded some positive results for others. Melissa began intensive chemotherapy on April 16 at Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee. Her treatment will consist of several cycles of specialized chemotherapy delivered through a port installed in her chest. The cycles last 5-6 days each and are about three weeks apart. She will also have numerous injections of chemotherapy into her spinal column. There is also the possibility of a stem-cell transplant in the future.
Whatever the future holds, Melissa is trusting in her Savior, Jesus Christ, who said:
“Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.” -Matthew 10:29-31
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Thanks for your love and prayers.