A Southern California woman diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer is putting away her dreams of starting a family and instead hoping to check off her bucket list and enjoy the time she has left.
Marlisse Reina and her husband Brock had only been on two dates when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2019. The bond they felt, however, was immediate, and they’ve been together ever since.
The couple had dreams of becoming parents, but with Marlisse’s terminal diagnosis, the couple is now focused on enjoying the time they have left together to see the world and make memories.
“Marlisse and I are devastated that we won’t become parents, especially since she was able to freeze her eggs prior to her diagnosis,” said Brock. “But time is no longer on our side. She wants to be well enough to care for our baby and be around to raise our child. But this is not in the cards for us. So we’ve decided to channel all of our energy into spending the time we have left focused on joy!”
Two years ago, Marlisse’s cancer went into remission and the couple decided to create a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for a surrogate who could use Marlisse’s frozen eggs.
But then Marlisse’s cancer returned and the couple changed their focus.
“I just felt like it was kind of selfish of me to want a kid that bad, but only be around for a short amount of time,” said Marlisse.
“With ovarian cancer and my stage and everything, I just wanted to try and live my life even more intentionally,” said Marlisse. “The bucket list started in my 20s, way before my diagnosis, and I’ve always just wanted to put pen to paper.”
Meanwhile, Marlisse is still teaching eighth-grade science at Oak Avenue Intermediate School in Temple City as she continues receiving treatment. She‘s currently participating in a clinical trial that’s testing a new type of chemotherapy and goes in for surgery every five weeks.
Her husband is a veteran who works for a nonprofit organization as a Veteran Peer Support Specialist. The couple says they’re overwhelmed with mounting medical bills due to their limited income.
They’re also hoping to see and experience as much of the world as possible while Marlisse is still physically able to. Some items on her bucket list include climbing Macchu Picchu, holding a sloth in Roatán, getting her motorcycle license, playing paintball and more.
“I really wanna play paintball!” said Marlisse. “I can’t believe I’ve never done that.”
For now, the couple is taking it one day at a time.
“I live my life more intentionally now,” said Marlisse. “I wish everybody would know what it feels like to say, ‘Wow, I want to make the most of the time that I had, not focus on so many things that don’t matter.’”
A GoFundMe campaign for Marlisse can be found here.