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Melissa & Adalyn Modeling for Eugene Mark Apparel and Olive Grace Co. at the 2025 Hope in Heels: A Fashion Gala event. Photo by Allison Wall Photography
Melissa is no stranger to multitasking. As a devoted wife, mother of two energetic little girls—Adalyn, 7, and Raya, 5—and the full-time CEO and Co-Founder of Lynn & Liana Designs, her life is full to the brim. Her company crafts beautiful homewares and gifting products, which are now sold and distributed all over the world. In the rare pockets of free time she finds, Melissa laces up her running shoes, experiments in the kitchen, or volunteers with the Children’s Ministry at their local church.
But in the midst of her busy, joyful life, Melissa faced a moment that changed everything.
Just three weeks after Adalyn started kindergarten, something felt off. The once bubbly, always-on-the-go little girl began experiencing sudden headaches and unpredictable waves of nausea. At first, it was puzzling—maybe a bug, maybe a change in routine—but Melissa’s instincts as a mother told her it was more. She began tracking the symptoms with help from Adalyn’s daycare provider, documenting everything in detail.
Her persistence paid off. At just five years old, Adalyn was diagnosed with a non-malignant, low-grade glioma called Pilocytic Astrocytoma—a brain tumor. What followed was an eight-hour brain surgery, a 13-day hospital stay, and countless medical appointments. Through it all, Melissa and her family held on tightly to hope.
Adalyn made a remarkable physical recovery. She returned to the things she loved—playing with her friends, learning at school, running outside, and spending time in the kitchen, just like her mom, cooking and baking with joy.
But the journey wasn’t over.
Melissa came to learn something vital through this experience: cancer isn’t linear. It’s not just chemo or radiation. Any abnormal growth of cells in the body can fall under that vast and frightening umbrella. And even when the physical scars begin to heal, emotional ones can linger long after.
For Adalyn, the emotional trauma was the toughest part. Big feelings would bubble to the surface, hard to understand and even harder to control. That’s when Melissa and her husband turned to play therapy—a safe space for Adalyn to work through the complex emotions she couldn’t always put into words. It became a cornerstone of her healing, and a crucial step in helping her find her joy again.
Today, Melissa and Adalyn reflect on their journey not just as a medical challenge, but as a story of hope. Hope in advocacy, in persistence, in healing, and in community.
They are endlessly grateful to the Children’s Hospital team for their compassionate care, to the Child Life volunteers who filled those tough days with moments of play and light, and to their family, friends, and church community, who surrounded them with love and strength when they needed it most.
Together, they celebrate not just recovery—but resilience, and the unwavering power of hope.
Cover Photo by SnapJoy Photo