The Melina Michelle Edenfield Foundation

06/15/2026

For the last month, my world has been all over the place—from crazy hours and constant changes to practically living at softball fields. The days have flown by, and there have been moments of both tears and joy as I’ve watched my girls grow.

It’s hard to describe, but you take in each day as the “new normal” that six years of grief brings you. You live day to day. You try to keep perspective, focusing on the good moments and trying not to get caught up in the things we know are trivial. If losing my baby doesn’t give me perspective on what matters in life, I don’t know what will.

I watch my girls grow and learn, and I feel their struggles more deeply than ever before. But the same is true with their successes. What may seem small to others can feel like a national championship to us. And that can be a roller coaster. Yet I can’t undo that. I can’t change how my heart reacts now, because I can’t tell it that everything will work out. Sometimes I know it doesn’t—at least not in the ways I think it should.

And in all this chaos, I have felt this ache just beneath the surface. My heart knows the timing. My heart knows what date is fast approaching, and I wish it didn’t. I don’t want to remember the end of Melina’s life. I don’t want to think about the date I lost one of my greatest gifts. But it’s right there, and I know it. June 24th will be here soon, and my heart knows that.

Grief is not just a battle of thoughts. It is a battle with your own heart. How can I ever tell my heart to love less? To hurt less? To minimize the small wins? I can’t. And I don’t want to.

I realize it is because of my heart that I can feel the love I do. That I can feel the joy. That I can feel the pain. It all comes from the same place—the deep love I carry.

My greatest struggle in life now comes from my greatest loss. I struggle because I would give anything to change the outcome, but I can’t. Yet I would never want to change the love. That love brought—and continues to bring—my greatest joys. Joy from the love my heart gives to the two who are here on this earth. And joy from the one who reminds me that no matter what, nothing can ever destroy the love between a mother and a daughter.

Not even death.

And always when I need her most…My girl reminds me that as long as my heart is open she will always be right there 💚🌈

06/03/2026

Your heart always needs a reminder. 💚
Being apart from my girls for a few days while they make memories with their cousins is never easy. But I got the most perfect reminder today that even when we aren’t together, they always have their sister with them. 💚💚🌈🥰.

05/30/2026

Can’t wait!!! Looking forward to cheering on the runners!

It's race weekend! You've trained, you're ready...it's going to be a fabulous weekend. This race is for YOU and it's also for them. If you need that added inspiration, remember your participation supports three amazing local nonprofit organizations. Remember you're doing it for Melina and children with cancer, for the kids at Potential Development, and for the boxers at Rock Steady punching out Parkinson's. Your support matters.

Online registration has closed, but you can still get in the game by signing up tomorrow at packet pickup at Second Sole in Boardman from 11-4.

Race info: www.youngstownmarathon.com

Rock Steady Boxing - Boardman

05/29/2026

Today would have been Melina’s last day of elementary school. So the only way I could choose Joy was to share her.

I had the honor of speaking with two elementary classes at Hilltop today. The first class, Miss Missos’s class, did an amazing project selling keychains they made. They raised $919.00 for our foundation! Their smiles and joy filled my heart.

Second, I got to stop into a Melina Lifer’s classroom, Mrs. Lopatta’s class. These students were so well versed in Joy. They presented me with beautiful cards explaining why they choose Joy and read them to me.

I started my day wondering how my beautiful girl never had the opportunity to go to elementary school. But as the day ended, I walked out seeing her everywhere. Thank you, always, for this amazing community. In the end, Melina was always right — Joy truly is a choice. 💚🌈💚

05/27/2026

What a great way to end our month of going gray!! We are looking forward to seeing the runners this Sunday! There is still time to sign up! Use code MELINA 26 💚🌈💚

05/21/2026

This time of year I find myself reflecting a lot. I hate it. I hate the 32 days that are starting all too soon of reminders I wish I could forget, but I would never forget a moment with her.

Yet I will continue six years later to take Melina’s lead. And over the next 32 days I will remember the amazing people we met along the way. I will remember the Starbucks trips with her aunt full of FaceTime calls of Melina singing every bad show tune. I will remember her amazing neurosurgery team who reminded me daily the empathy my child had, the fact that they came into a presurgical room with a giant unicorn balloon for reasons I wasn’t allowed to know. I will remember a nurse anesthesist who was so greatly impacted by how truly special my girl was. I will remember the friends who showed up when they were never asked. I will remember my family and the fact that we can’t manage to hold it together and humor does often win. I will remember the amazing ambulance driver who broke every COVID protocol to all me to ride home with my baby, “because you do the right thing.” I will remeber the rainbows with no rain. I will remember her neuro-oncology team honoring my girl and watching out for her giraffee. I will remember the love, the joy, and the peace my Melina had. I will remember her god awful Cheeto, and her telling me to “get it together”. I won’t remember a tumor. I will remember Melina.

So tomorrow as I start the path of these 32 days. I ask you all to Go Gray with me Wear gray, wear every color of the rainbow Choose Joy apparel, or throw on some Cheeto! But let’s remind the world why we need to fight. Why no other family should ever have to be reminded of 32 days. Why every family should just be able to wake up and simply Choose Joy! 💚🌈 🎗️

05/12/2026

After this weekend I just wanted to say a few thank yous! . First Happy Mother’s Day to all the amazing moms! This day will always be hard, but the sadness will always exist right alongside the joy.

Today, I’m reminded that despite the hardships, there are so many people I am forever grateful to have in our lives. I’m reminded of the amount of good that continues to show up for our family. Life is so much bigger than softball. But the game of softball has truly brought us some of the best people.
This weekend, my heart was fill with my girls — from watching them on the field to seeing the Cheetos and rainbows everywhere. I watch families learn about our Melina while hearing others cheer on Klara and Emmie

Thank you to Mike and Joanna Brubaker for putting on this amazing tournament year after year. Thank you for the endless work you put into this event. Thank you for the incredible gift of having all three of my girls with me today. Thank you to all the coaches, players and families for joining our fight. Thank you for allowing me to see all the impact my girl is making. Thank you for giving me hope we can make a difference. Thank you for allowing the game of softball to mean so much more. And thank you for allowing me to say all three of my girls’ names — that is a gift I can never thank you for enough. 💚🌈🥰

05/09/2026

As much as we all want to be on the fields. We are so thankful for our tournament director, Mike Brubaker for his endless efforts to run the best tournament year after year. A huge thank you to McCune Fields ground crew overseen by Sean Novotny who always shows up big for us! Thank you for understanding. Can’t wait to see everyone tomorrow where we will have our sunflower Saturday just a day late!! Sending hugs to all the moms on their special day. May you all choose Joy at the plate! 💚🥎🌈