Most people who know Aimee Melancon, a Nicholls alumna, describe her as one in a million. Her warm personality, optimism and love of life are apparent when meeting her. She possesses a soothing voice, a caring smile and understanding eyes. There’s another unique feature about Melancon- but this one is physiological. She was recently diagnosed with Aplastic anemia, a rare, serious condition that results in a substantial loss or complete depletion of stem cells. About one in every million people receive this diagnosis.
Nursing students will host a blood drive for Melancon on Monday and Tuesday in front of the Bollinger Memorial Student Union from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Anyone who wants to donate blood specifically for Melancon should say so upon donating.
Melancon graduated from Nicholls in December 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in mass communication. She was named Homecoming Queen in 2003 and served as president of Delta Zeta sorority. She worked as a Nicholls admissions counselor from July 2005 until December 2006. In August Melancon began teaching at the on-campus MAX Charter School for Dyslexia.
Courtney Cassard, director of enrollment services, worked with Melancon when she was an admissions counselor.
“When she came in contact with students, especially at the beginning of semesters, she would cry with students if they needed to cry, she would hug them if they needed a hug and sing to them if they needed to be sung to,” Cassard says. “She’d do whatever was necessary and in the best interest of the student at all times.”
Melancon’s Aplastic anemia is categorized as severe – she has no stem cells, which are the cells that produce red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Her only curable option is a bone marrow transplant.
Nine bone marrow donors that match Melancon have been found in the global bone marrow pool, she says, and extensive blood work is being done on the top three matches to find a “perfect match.” Melancon says she should know within a month if one of the nine matches will be her perfect match. In the meanwhile, Melancon is receiving immune globulin treatments at Tulane Medical Center in New Orleans. The treatments are designed to build up her immune system by getting rid of all her white blood cells. She is also being given steroids in order to fight any infection she may receive from the immunosuppressant.
Melancon says if the treatments work, she’ll be able to go home around Thanksgiving on an out-patient basis until she receives her transplant, which will probably be close to Christmas.
Melancon’s brother, Andre’, says that although his sister is sick, she is in excellent spirits. “When you walk into the hospital room, she’s bright and bubbly as always,” Andre’ says. “You don’t even realize she’s sick.”
A remarkable quality about Melancon is her faith in God through this adversity.
“I’ve never asked ‘Why me?'” Melancon says. “I’m actually glad it’s me because I would not want anyone else to go through this. I know it’s God’s will, and I just feel so strong about it. I’m going to recover from this. I just have so much life to live.
