Looking at family pictures, you might assume that Melinda Nelson is a typical wife and mother of three. Beneath the surface, her story is anything but ordinary. In September, Melinda underwent a life-changing five-organ transplant to combat a rare illness that made it impossible for her to eat or drink without the assistance of a feeding tube.
Melinda is a wife and mother of three.
Melinda was born with chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction (CIP). The disorder lead to inefficient intestinal contractions, which made ordinary digestion and nutrition impossible for her body to maintain. By age 38, she was unable to draw any nutrition from food orally, and nightly intravenous treatments became her sole source of nutrition.
CIP was breaking down her health and diminishing her body’s ability to fight back. Melinda knew she would need a major breakthrough to remain in the lives of her “three babes,” 11-year-old Chad, 7-year-old Grace, and 6-year-old Hannah. A high-risk multi-visceral transplant – of the liver, stomach, intestine and pancreas – became her only hope.
Melinda had been fundraising with HelpHOPELive for less than a year when she got the call for her transplant. Thanks to the donations made in her honor, Melinda was able to afford the 1,821-mile journey from her hometown in Idaho to a specialized transplant center in Indiana where she received the gift of life.
Fundraising enabled Melinda to relocate for a lifesaving transplant.
“I can’t even imagine giving a gift like that, because that donor didn’t just give me a second chance, he gave my kids their mom,” said Melinda in an interview with KTVB 7. Melinda will spend the holidays recovering from the procedure and celebrating the possibility of a brighter and healthier future.
Looking at family pictures, you might assume that Melinda Nelson is a typical wife and mother of three. Beneath the surface, her story is anything but ordinary. In September, Melinda underwent a life-changing five-organ transplant to combat a rare illness that made it impossible for her to eat or drink without the assistance of a feeding tube.
Melinda was born with chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction (CIP). The disorder lead to inefficient intestinal contractions, which made ordinary digestion and nutrition impossible for her body to maintain. By age 38, she was unable to draw any nutrition from food orally, and nightly intravenous treatments became her sole source of nutrition.
CIP was breaking down her health and diminishing her body’s ability to fight back. Melinda knew she would need a major breakthrough to remain in the lives of her “three babes,” 11-year-old Chad, 7-year-old Grace, and 6-year-old Hannah. A high-risk multi-visceral transplant – of the liver, stomach, intestine and pancreas – became her only hope.
Melinda had been fundraising with HelpHOPELive for less than a year when she got the call for her transplant. Thanks to the donations made in her honor, Melinda was able to afford the 1,821-mile journey from her hometown in Idaho to a specialized transplant center in Indiana where she received the gift of life.
“I can’t even imagine giving a gift like that, because that donor didn’t just give me a second chance, he gave my kids their mom,” said Melinda in an interview with KTVB 7. Melinda will spend the holidays recovering from the procedure and celebrating the possibility of a brighter and healthier future.
