Jody, my mom’s cancer journey started in May of 2017, when she was diagnosed with mucosal melanoma. Mucosal melanoma is a very rare and aggressive type of skin cancer. This cancer appears in the mucosal lines of the human body. It is often found in the late stages and is not caused by the sun or tanning beds. Right now there are no specific known causes. The survival rate is very poor. My mom was told the survival rate for her would be about eight months.

Her journey included many trips to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester and CentraCare in St. Cloud. Her treatments included chemo therapy, radiation therapy, surgery, cyber knife therapy, and infusion therapy. With all these treatments Jody survived for about two years after she was diagnosed.

Jody loved to knit, ski, sail, garden, and watch her daughters dance. Jody grew up skiing at Lusten and sailboat racing on Lake Superior with her family. During college she taught skiing in Germany. She graduated from UMD with a degree in Comminutions. She worked for the Sauk Rapids School District for over 10 years as a para professional. She loved working with her special needs kiddos. She loved to help them learn and grow. Her relationships with her coworkers was also special. She was known around the elementary school as Miss Jody or Mrs. Meyer.

The last few months Jody lived by the saying Choose Joy. She tried to embrace every moment that she could. She tried to look at the positive even when it was tough. Hence, why our team name is Choose Joy in remembrance of Jody.