Meet Melissa Hoff
Cancer research saved mother and daughter
Melissa Hoff, a talented singer and performer, had a mammogram in her early thirties and learned she had dense breast tissue. A common finding for her age, her doctor did not recommend additional follow-up at the time. A few months later, she had another mammogram, but this time followed by an ultrasound and a biopsy. Just two months after her daughter Ella’s diagnosis with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), it never occurred to Melissa that she might have cancer too. After receiving the call confirming her breast cancer diagnosis, Melissa ran outside to share her devastating news with her husband, Christian, Tony Award winner of the Broadway hit Jersey Boys. Seeing her mother’s tears, three-year-old Ella, bald from chemotherapy, calmly told her she would be ok.
Supporting Cancer Research, A Family Affair
Melissa Hoff, a talented singer and performer, had a mammogram in her early thirties and learned she had dense breast tissue. A common finding for her age, her doctor did not recommend additional follow-up at the time. A few months later, she had another mammogram, but this time followed by an ultrasound and a biopsy. Just two months after her daughter Ella’s diagnosis with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), it never occurred to Melissa that she might have cancer too.
After receiving the call confirming her breast cancer diagnosis, Melissa ran outside to share her devastating news with her husband, Christian, Tony Award winner of the Broadway hit Jersey Boys. Seeing her mother’s tears, three-year-old Ella, bald from chemotherapy, calmly told her she would be ok.
Melissa relied heavily on cancer research to plan her course of treatment, and she chose a bilateral mastectomy. Likewise, when Ella was diagnosed, they found comfort in studies showing ALL was a curable cancer. After two years of bravely enduring chemotherapy treatments, Ella joined her mother in full remission.
Today, mother and daughter live an active, robust life. However, Melissa still worries about random aches and pains in her and Ella. They are sobering reminders of the desperate need for additional research.
Supporting cancer research is a legacy Melissa and Christian are determined to leave for their children and grandchildren. As a result, the Hoff family participates in V Foundation signature events across the country. From performing at the Dick Vitale Gala in Florida to the Great Gatsby Gala in New York to the Wine Celebration in California, they are determined to achieve Victory Over Cancer®.
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