A legacy of love: How a young woman’s strength and grace continues to inspire

After a few months of stomach pain and gaining weight, Melissa Freitas knew it was time for her 24-year-old daughter Hannah to see a doctor. Both expected Hannah would be diagnosed with a cyst, but neither of them were prepared for a CT scan to reveal that Hannah had a tumor.  

“We were shocked,” Melissa recalled. “I guess we had thought there was no way we’d face cancer again after losing her dad when he was 43 and Hannah was 11. All of my kids were still living at home when he got sick, so I couldn’t shield them from seeing the toll the disease and treatments took on him.” 

Hannah was referred to Amelia Jernigan, MD, gynecologic oncologist at University Medical Center New Orleans.  

“I expected Hannah to have one of the common malignancies we see in young women,” Dr. Jernigan explained. “Even if the results of her biopsy came back with something more serious, we had every reason to think that Hannah would do well.”  

Hannah underwent surgery to remove the tumor, and samples were sent off for testing. As the days following Hannah’s surgery ticked by, Dr. Jernigan became increasingly concerned about what the results would reveal.  

“It usually takes one to two weeks to get pathology results, but it was over a month before we had Hannah’s diagnosis,” Dr. Jernigan explained. “It had to be sent to highly specialized pathologists who had experience diagnosing rare tumors.” 

Hannah’s tumor was diagnosed as small cell carcinoma of the ovary hypercalcemic type, a very rare form of cancer that is diagnosed in less than 50 U.S. women each year.  

“I had read about this type of cancer as a fellow and knew a few colleagues who had treated it over the years, but this would be my first time to this rare form of small cell carcinoma,” Dr. Jernigan said. “I immediately reached out to everyone I know to ask what they had done, and the common answer was a highly toxic chemotherapy regimen known as VPCBAE. It’s more chemo than I’ve ever given a patient before.”  

From Hannah’s Facebook page, posted Aug. 15, 2023: 

“... I will have a very aggressive treatment… I want to be honest, when I asked her the life expectancy, she said (the) average is 14 months. It is not something I wanted to hear and hurts me to share. Of course, she is not saying it will be 14 months guaranteed, I could kick its (butt). All my family and I need is love and support and prayers through this rough time… I feel so incredibly loved, and I will get through this.” 

“From the beginning, Hannah wanted to fight,” Melissa said. “I told her that I would support her every decision. I made sure she knew that I would fight as long as she wanted to fight. So, we faced it head on. She was stronger than I ever thought someone could be going through this.” 

Their loved ones and neighbors rallied around the family. Melissa is a law enforcement veteran, with more than 20 years of service with the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office.  The Sheriff’s Office supported Melissa in keeping her promise that Hannah wouldn’t face a single appointment alone and even organized fundraisers and blood drives for Hannah. As Hannah began the difficult chemotherapy treatments, she also began making friends with many University Medical Center New Orleans employees.  

“As much as the hospital staff didn’t want us there because it meant Hannah wasn’t doing well, you could still hear how happy the nurses were to see her,” Melissa said. “Many times, we would hear, “Hannah’s here!” coming from the hallways.” 

By the fourth round of chemotherapy, Hannah’s hospital visits were more frequent and lasting longer. A CT scan also revealed two new masses in her abdomen, and she was regularly receiving blood and platelet transfusions to counteract the toxicity of the chemo. When it was clear that Hannah would spend her 25th birthday in the hospital, her University Medical Center New Orleans family made sure it was a special one.  

From Hannah’s Facebook page, posted Dec. 15, 2023: 

“Words cannot express how grateful I am to this team of doctors, nurses, and everyone in between. They have taken such good care of me and make me feel so comfortable every time I’m in the hospital. They have truly become a second family to me. My birthday isn’t until tomorrow, but they made it so special.” 

Following that fifth round of chemotherapy, Hannah was suffering from severe neuropathy, mouth sores and acute kidney failure. Before proceeding with the sixth and final planned round, Dr. Jernigan ordered a PET scan to see if the tumors were responding to the intense chemotherapy regimen.   

From Hannah’s Facebook page, posted Jan. 31, 2024: 

“Words couldn’t possibly express what I’m feeling today… There were no signs of cancer on my scan… I AM IN REMISSION. I AM CANCER FREE! I am feeling an overwhelming amount of emotions right now and so is my family. We are so thankful for everything and everyone who has been on this journey with us, the list is far too long… The journey isn’t over yet… but I BEAT A RARE CANCER.” 

Hannah’s sixth round of chemotherapy was cancelled, and the focus shifted to helping her recover with physical and occupational therapy to treat the neuropathy. A follow-up PET scan in March would confirm Hannah’s biggest fear. 

From Hannah’s Facebook page, posted April 12, 2024: 

“After taking some time to process the result of my PET scan, I am ready to share. It is not what we wanted, but are also not caught by surprise. Unfortunately, my scan showed my cancer has returned. There are 2 small spots in my abdomen… I will be honest, it has been incredibly hard and frustrating knowing that terrible disease is back. But if I did not have the support of my friends and family this entire time, I truly could not keep pushing…” 

“We were devasted,” Melissa recalled. “But, she still had fight in her and was ready to start immunotherapy. It was at this point that Hannah started talking to me more about wishes. Nothing in my life has been as hard as those conversations, but she was very clear on what she wanted, and I knew it was my job to honor that.” 

Because of the deep love shared by Hannah and members of her care team, many of them became friends on Facebook, including Dr. Jernigan.  

“I saw that Hannah visited a farm, and she said it was one of her bucket list items,” Dr. Jernigan said. “In the comments, someone asked what else was on her bucket list, and Hannah said she wanted to see a ‘real’ fall. At this point, I knew that we were running out of options to save Hannah’s life, but I thought… what if we could do that for her?” 

The team reviewed Hannah’s care plan and began asking: When would she feel her best for travelling? When and where should she go? Dr. Jernigan wanted to pay for their flight, but Hannah and Melissa still needed a hotel and experiences. That’s when Shawn Abadie, oncology financial navigator, was called in.  

“People know me as the person who gets stuff,” Shawn said with a laugh. “It’s usually free or discounted medications, but why not a hotel room? The team had decided on October in Buffalo, so I started calling local hotels. A reservations coordinator at one hotel was very touched by Hannah’s story and went above and beyond. Even though they didn’t know Hannah, they wanted to help her.” 

To ensure that Hannah and Melissa experienced everything a “real” fall in Buffalo has to offer, the local hotel arranged a junior suite, organized a full day visit to Niagara Falls, and arranged for a driver to handle all of the family’s transportation. They even stocked Hannah’s suite with her favorite snacks, books and sweatshirts. 

Hannah’s trip also received financial support from University Medical Center New Orleans Spirit of Charity Foundation and the LSU Health Foundation New Orleans. Quickly becoming the best-kept secret in town, friends and neighbors of University Medical Center New Orleans Cancer Center team members even donated spending money for Hannah and Melissa. 

Shawna Morron, a physician assistant who cares for gynecological cancer patients in the outpatient setting, had been seeing Hannah regularly to monitor crucial health indicators and manage treatment side effects to help Hannah avoid readmission.  

“The way schedules worked out, I was the one who got to tell Hannah and Melissa about the trip,” Shawna explained. “She was in because she wasn’t feeling well and needed IV fluids. I asked if they had plans on these dates, explained that Dr. Jernigan saw on social media that Hannah wanted to see a real fall, and the team had everything ready for them to go. Hannah’s eyes got so big, followed by the biggest smile and happy tears.” 

From Hannah’s Facebook page, posted Sept. 20, 2024: 

“I’ve been keeping a seeecretttt I’ve never really made a bucket list, but I know one thing for sure. I’ve always wanted to see real fall foliage. Fall is my favorite season by far. Sweater weather, crisp air, bonfires. It is where some of the best memories of my life live. In a few weeks, there will be new memories added to that, because we have been surprised with a trip to NIAGARA FALLS YA GIRL IS GETTING ON A PLANE !(yes. Me. Who is terrified of planes)  

With the help of my amazing beautiful wonderful team; my oncologist Dr. Jernigan, Dr. Morron, Nurse Beth and everyone with LSU New Orleans Gynecologic Oncology, University Medical Center New Orleans, LSU Health Foundation New Orleans and the #spiritofcharity, they have made this dream possible for my mom and I… I am bursting with excitement and I cannot WAIT to leave!!” 

“I don’t have a single photo of Hannah from that trip where she looks sad,” Melissa said. “She was treated like a queen from the moment we arrived. We were there at the perfect time to see the fall colors. Everywhere she went, she picked up leaves. When we got home, she made a scrapbook with her leaves and pictures. The trip was more than we could have imagined.” 

From Hannah’s Facebook page, posted Oct. 16, 2024: 

“We are all back in the swamp! …this past weekend was an absolute dream. We were treated with such high class and met so many beautiful people. Sarah and the hotel staff at Westin Buffalo, our tour guide Kevin from Maid of the Mist and Greyline Tours, our drivers (especially J), and many families and bystanders just saying hello. Everyone made this trip such a wonderful experience for my family and I. Most of all, I’d never be able to experience this if it were not for my oncologist Dr. Jernigan and the GYNOC team, UMC New Orleans, and the LSU Health Foundation New Orleans, #spiritofcharity, you all hold a special place in my heart. I will never be able to thank you ” 

Shortly after Hannah’s trip, a PET scan would reveal two new tumors, and one was growing around her colon and causing bowel blockages. While this tumor wasn’t a candidate for radiation, Hannah completed six rounds of radiation targeting a growth on her spine. 

“As much as Hannah was a fighter, she was so good about boundaries,” Dr. Jernigan explained. “The only good treatment option for the bowel blockages was a colostomy bag, which would require surgery. Hannah was very clear that she didn’t want any more surgeries. She knew we were running out of options, and she didn’t want to pass away in a hospital.”  

“Every day was getting harder for Hannah,” Melissa said. “She was struggling to eat, so she was losing weight quickly. On January 6, we went in because she wasn’t feeling well, but her blood counts were good. By the next morning, the counts had dropped, and she needed two units of blood. That’s when Hannah said she was done.”  

Dr. Jernigan spoke with Hannah at length, ensuring that Hannah understood the decision she was making and reaffirming that the team would support her decision.  

From Melissa’s Facebook page, posted Jan. 7, 2025: 

“I will try and keep this short. With Hannah’s permission, I’m writing this. Hannah had a short stay in the hospital. On January 7, Hannah made the decision to stop all treatment due to the progression of her cancer. Hannah is now under hospice care. Hannah has made her final wishes very clear to us. My baby girl continues to amaze me… Hannah also requested no funeral. She wants a celebration of life. I want to thank everyone that’s has supported Hannah and my family. We can’t thank you all enough. We love you all. To all of Hannah’s Ovarian Sisters fighting this horrific disease, she says to continue the fight 💙!  

Hannah passed away at home on Jan. 15, 2025, with Melissa and other loved ones at her side. Her celebration of life was hosted on Feb. 22.  

“It was everything she wanted,” Melissa said. “She told me to ‘put the fun in funeral.’ It was a casual gathering with good food and good people. She asked her friends to choose special musical pieces to play. Her best friend learned how to play the Mario Kart theme song on the clarinet because Hannah loved to play Mario Kart. Words can’t describe how much I miss her. While we lost Hannah, I gained a family at University Medical Center New Orleans.”  

“Hannah was the strong, kind, incredible woman she was because of Melissa,” Shawna said. “It was very stressful for Melissa to be Hannah’s caretaker and provide her information to make decisions without making the decisions for her. There were times when we’d admit Hannah, and Melissa and I would talk in the hall. I would just give her a hug and remind her how amazing she was and that we were there for her. And, I know the trip gave Melissa many wonderful memories of seeing Hannah full of joy and excitement.” 

“If you put all the rare types of cancer together, it’s not that rare to have a rare cancer,” Dr. Jernigan explained. “What is rare is someone like Hannah, who was filled with strength and grace throughout her journey. She wanted to have a big impact, and I think her story has and will continue to make a difference.”  

If you or a loved one is facing a gynecologic cancer diagnosis, you don’t have to go through it alone. The expert team at University Medical Center New Orleans is here to guide you with compassionate, personalized care every step of the way. Click here to learn more or to connect with our cancer care team.