In June 2025, at 43 years old, Marisa noticed a lump on her neck that didn’t feel quite right. As a mother to two boys, Ethan and Zachary, life was already full and busy. It would have been easy to ignore. But something told her to get it checked. That decision led to an ultrasound and, eventually, a referral to an ENT specialist.
Looking back, listening to her instincts set everything in motion. In late July, Marisa underwent a biopsy procedure that also required a tracheostomy, which she would live with for the next six months. The initial results were inconclusive, leaving her in a space filled with uncertainty. She returned for an ultrasound-guided needle biopsy of her lymph nodes. When those results came back positive for mucoepidermoid carcinoma—a type of salivary gland cancer—Marisa’s world shifted instantly. She had faced cancer once before, ten years earlier.
I had a hysterectomy due to cervical cancer, but this experience felt far more complex and overwhelming, Marisa explained. I was then referred to Dr. Brittany Barber at the University of Washington Medical Center and Fred Hutch Cancer Center, and that referral changed everything. Dr. Barber is, without question, one of the most compassionate and caring physicians I have ever encountered. In a time when fear could easily have taken over, she brought clarity, confidence, and genuine empathy into every interaction. I am incredibly grateful to have been under her care.
Marisa’s official diagnosis was intermediate grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma, stage 4A, MAML2 FISH positive. On September 12, 2025—just one day before she and her husband, Wesley, were supposed to celebrate their 23rd wedding anniversary—Marisa underwent major surgery. During the procedure, 40 lymph nodes were removed from her neck, five of which were cancerous. The largest lymph node, the one she had initially felt, measured 5 centimeters. The primary tumor, located on her epiglottis, measured 2.5 centimeters. Instead of celebrating their anniversary, Marisa and Wesley were navigating one of the hardest days of their lives.
Through it all, Wesley was my rock—steady and unwavering in every moment, Marisa said.
Recovery was anything but simple. Alongside healing from surgery, Marisa had a G-tube placed after complications with a nasal feeding tube, which remained for four months. She also had to relearn how to swallow—something she had never thought twice about before.
It’s humbling to realize how much we take for granted until our bodies no longer function the way they once did. Each small milestone in recovery carried a weight that only someone who has experienced it can truly understand, she shared.
Following surgery, Marisa began neutron radiation therapy at UW on her 44th birthday, receiving four treatments a week for four weeks. The side effects were intense and, at times, overwhelming. She lost her voice, experienced severe burns, developed painful sores in her mouth, and lost her sense of taste. Even now, she lives with little to no saliva. These lasting effects are daily reminders of what she endured—but also of the strength it took to get through.
In mid-March 2026, Marisa had her first CT scan following treatment. Then, on March 14—Pi Day—she received the news that changed everything: she was officially cancer-free.
After months of physical and emotional challenges, hearing those words felt surreal. It was a moment of relief, gratitude, and quiet disbelief all at once, she said.
This journey has changed the way I see life. In the middle of it all, I struggled to see myself as a fighter or a warrior. I was simply doing what I had to do to keep going—for myself, for my family, and especially for Ethan and Zachary. But now, looking back, I can finally say it: I am a survivor.
Today, Marisa continues her care through the Survivorship Program at Fred Hutch, where she receives lymphedema treatment and nutritional support.
The care I’ve received from UW Medical Center and Fred Hutch Cancer Center has been extraordinary. I will always carry deep gratitude for the team that helped me through the most difficult chapter of my life—and for my family, especially my husband Wesley, who never left my side.
