Help my sister fight her melanoma battle

Hi, I’m Kayla Mendez, and I’m raising funds for my sister Maiad—a 40-year-old wife, mother and sister, who is bravely fighting Stage 4 melanoma.

Maiad’s journey began in 2014 when a mole on her leg was diagnosed as Stage 2 melanoma. After surgery, she remained cancer-free for nine years. But in September 2023, the cancer returned—now affecting her stomach, chest, and neck.

She began immunotherapy in the Philippines, which lasted for about 6 months. Then came a ray of hope as she was accepted into a clinical trial in Singapore in Aug 2024. Her treatment was doing well but sadly, due to missed doses after treatment-related pneumonitis in April 2025, and recent disease progression, she was removed from the trial.

Now back home, Maiad needs to resume treatment ——an overwhelming financial burden for our family.

Despite the emotional and physical toll, Maiad continues to fight. She had been working as a freelancer senior specialist throughout her treatment, until she was hospitalised for nearly a month in April. On top of this, a company-wide recession cost her her job. Still, she pushes forward—starting small business ventures to support her day-to-day needs and exploring options like government hospital care and other overseas clinical trials.