The following is this week’s I AM, YOU ARE, WE ARE Honoree by Ashton Greer and Nicole Van Hyfte
Melissa Heeren is a breath of fresh air and has an unusual perspective on life. She was recently diagnosed with stage four uterine cancer that has metastasized, yet her speech and presence are full of gratitude. “When you’re given a heads up, your approach to life completely shifts. This has allowed me to see life in a completely different way, and for that I am blessed.” Melissa approaches every day intentionally, living out each moment with specific purpose. “If I can teach and share –If I can help others, it is really important to me that I do that. We are all just walking this life doing the best we can.”
Melissa was born and raised in Danville and grew up on Grace Street in a neighborhood with all different types of people and families. Because of that, she appreciates the multi-cultural aspect of Danville so much. She now lives in a classic, midtown bungalow, and she knows many faces in this town through her 20+ years in the service industry working at restaurants and bars in Danville. Chances are, she has served you a meal or a drink at some point, and I guarantee she did it with a warm smile and a word of encouragement.
Melissa has five children, which is a big part of why she chose the service industry as her career path. “My priority was to be with my kids as much as possible while also having a job I enjoyed.” She retired from the service industry when her youngest daughter was sick and required her care fulltime. During this time, she picked up gardening and essential oil sales, and within 5 years, she grew her Young Living company to a team of nearly 3000 people. She says that her Young Living training and education experiences taught her about alternative and holistic approaches to health. Her mindset, spirituality, and leadership abilities grew tremendously as she developed her company. She carries this into her cancer treatment approach.
Reflecting, Melissa says all of her life experiences have made her open-minded, and “our mind is what has the capacity to heal us.” She is thankful for every experience that led her to this point, and she says, “We are all connected. We are one. The way we think of and talk about others is really a reflection of ourselves.”
Melissa, we thank you for living life with an open mind and an open heart, and for loving others with a most unique, healing perspective. You are a hero.
If you have someone you would like to share,
visit https://forms.gle/deCPiQ1cxn1pDLhZ9
or contact Ashton Greer, City of Danville agreer@cityofdanville.org or
Nicole Van Hyfte, Vermilion Advantage nvanhyfte@vermilionadvantage.com.
