Melissa Hembree

Hi! My name is Melissa. I am a 38-year-old who is absolutely in love with life.

I enjoy the outdoors, gardening and just relaxing with a nice breeze and an iced sweet tea, with my wife and Miniature Dachshund playing in the yard. If I’m not outside gardening, you can find me in the craft room, doing everything I love such as crocheting, coloring in my various adult coloring books or trying to figure out how to use my Cricut that I asked for 3 Christmas’s ago. If I’m not in there, there are only 2 other places you might find me. Relaxing in a warm bath or in the kitchen, cooking something delicious. I grew up with amazing cooks on both sides of my family who taught me family recipes that have carried on through decades. I find cooking food for someone as taking care of them. I am a caregiver by nature. People tell me I have a huge heart. My dream after transplant is to find some way that will be possible to be in the healthcare industry. I helped 2 of my Grandparents pass peacefully while they were in the care of Hospice and I made sure their finale wishes were followed with the utmost care, even though I was sick as well when her grandmother passed away.

When I was born, I was healthy but I began getting sick when I was around 6 months old. I had constant Pneumonia or Bronchitis and no one knew why. I kept turning blue and I even flatlined a few times. at one point, the local hospital told my mom to come say her finale goodbyes to me. all the while, the local Children’s hospital came in and swooped me away to Dallas Children’s Hospital. I met the best pediatric cardiologist and I was only 4 years old. I was diagnosed with 2 congenital Heart defects and a heart/lung disease called Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension. We were told there was no cure. That one day, I would need a heart and Double Lung transplant. it was estimated that I wouldn’t make it to 16 without the transplant. But thanks to modern medicine and the miracles it can bring, I stayed at a good point for most of my life. I’ve had ups and downs with my health, but I made it to 37 before I was finally transplanted.

But through the amazing world of medicine, the power of prayer and your kind donations, I can live many more years to live out my dreams.
As we all know, medical costs can be astronomical. Even with medical insurance, not everything is covered. I must STRICTLY take many life saving medications for the rest of my life. For the first 3 months post transplant, I need to travel back and forth many times for clinic visits, blood work and other various tests.

Your so kindly donated funds will help in reimbursing me for my medications and gasoline getting me back and forth from where I live to my clinic for office visits and my testing. Rest assured, Help Hope Live makes sure your funds are going exactly where they should.