Melissa was an artist from time she was a little girl.

What she didn’t know as a child—or even as an adult—was that she was living with a hidden hole in her heart. At age 35, after a series of unexplained mini-strokes, she found herself in the ER during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s when doctors discovered a congenital heart defect: a PFO (patent foramen ovale).

What followed was a long and uncertain medical journey. Some cardiologists told her the hole was too small to matter. One renowned doctor at Johns Hopkins insisted it didn’t exist at all. But Melissa knew something was wrong. She kept advocating for herself.

Finally, on August 9, 2023, her 38th birthday, the hole in her heart was closed. And in that moment, everything shifted. Her migraines disappeared. Her breath came easier. The looming threat of more mini-strokes or a full stroke was gone.

To thank her cardiologist, Melissa did what she does best—she made something by hand. A post-surgery thank you cobweb card, crafted with intention and care, designed to reflect the design of her PFO closure device. That one card sparked something more: a commission to design a custom holiday card for the cardiology team’s aortic valve patients.

That was the beginning of Papercut Apothecary, a studio rooted in storytelling, healing, and human connection.

Today, Melissa creates concept-driven, hand-crafted cards that help professionals—especially those in healthcare—communicate with empathy and meaning. Every piece she makes is a reminder: art can be a bridge between people, a balm for uncertainty, and sometimes, a path to feeling seen.