Author Shares 'Melissa's Gift' at Book Passage

Thousands of miles and almost as many heartaches, it was a long journey out of the darkness for Olin Dodson.

But he might not have made it without Melissa and Joselle, two young girls from Central America who never knew each other but who are forever connected through Dodson.

Dodson is now sharing Melissa's Gift as he travels across the country. He'll be at Book Passage in Corte Madera on Sunday, 7 p.m., to chronicle a journey that starts in the Bay Area and takes him to Costa Rica. You can read more about the story and see photos of Melissa on the website.

The story changed Dodson's life and he's hoping it will be a gift to others.

Ashley Biggers of New Mexico Magazine wrote: "This poignant memoir recount's Dodson's relationship with [Melissa] and his anguish as her battle with cystic fibrosis threatens to take her away too soon. Dodson's writing flows with the raw joy and terror every father must experience in caring for his child, but parents and non-parents alike will find themselves swept up in this non-fiction tale."

"In 1990, I was single and living in Petaluma and feeling somewhat at loose ends. I didn't have a family, I wasn't married, but I had a strong need to have a child. I even looked into adopting," Dodson said as he began to relate his story. "Then I got a call from a stranger saying I had a daughter in Costa Rica."

That's the moment when his life changed forever, but there were more surprises and obstacles to come.

"It turns out that Melissa had cystic fibrosis. I knew from reading the local papers that there was a girl who died from cystic fibrosis and I knew it was a serious illness. In Costa Rica, I figured it was not the best of all worlds for my daughter."

If Melissa ever got sick, according to Dodson, she and Gloria had to flag down a bus on the PanAmerican Highway for a two-hour ride to the hospital in San José. Dodson sought the help of Bay Area doctors and specialists in the cystic fibrosis community, anyone who could help Melissa. 

"I quickly realized that because of my access to specialists in the Bay Area, I could do more good for her in the States than in Costa Rica," Dodson said. He was even able to get medicine that he smuggled into Costa Rica for Melissa.

Years earlier Dodson, between jobs and restless, traveled to Central America, living the vagabond tourist lifestyle when he "got stuck" in Costa Rica. He describes the tiny country as "the Switzerland of the Americas. It has an enormous amount of protected land. It's always been a forward-thinking country. … It's a model democracy. … It has volcanoes and beautiful seashores, it's just an absolutely gorgeous country with tropics and mountains."

Gloria was living in Esparza and working as a housekeeper for a wealth American family in San José, Costa Rica, when she met Dodson.
 
"We didn't see a whole lot of each other. In fact, I never thought I would see her again," Dodson recalled. "There are a lot of things that have to happen perfectly for all the events that followed to occur. One of them was meeting Gloria, Melissa's mom. Another was getting the phone call about my daughter."

Dodson returned to Costa Rica to meet Melissa and reunite with her mother. The family gathering churned up a lot of emotions in Dodson, Melissa and Gloria.

"It was one of those meetings that only parents can relate to. It was amazing," Dodson said. "The next day, Melissa turned her back on me. She barely acknowledged my presence. … I always felt there was a hidden hand in bringing me and my daughter together. But when she shut the door in my face, I rejected everything believed in about love, peace and everything I grew up believing in growing up in the idealistic '70s.

"I spent the next five years traveling to Costa Rica hoping she'd open up to me, hoping that I could get her to come to the U.S. for treatment. … She refused to come up. The first two-thirds of this book is comprised of all the experiences in visiting her and all the torment I went through trying to break through her defenses."

Melissa, 17, finally agreed to come to the United States for treatment. All Dodson's persistence and hard work was finally about to pay off. He was working on getting a visa for her when he got word Melissa had passed away.

"Her funeral was followed by a dark period which lasted six years until I experienced another set of life-changing circumstances. I was fortunate enough to come out of the dark period," Dodson said, noting that Melissa's story and his journey were not yet over. "I returned to Central America to visit with Melissa's family and to visit her grave. I decided I wanted to sponsor a child with a scholarship in Melissa's memory.

"On my way to Costa Rica, I met a 9-year-old girl working at the Nicaragua border. She was very clever and intelligent, working for pennies. … I had a dream about Melissa and this girl, Joselle. … When I had this dream I knew I had to go back and find Joselle. She was to be the recipient of the scholarship. I met her mother and we put her in a private school in Nicaragua. That's the end of the story. The crowning touch was helping Joselle get back into a good school. I emerged from my dark grief at that point."

Dodson's story still continues to this day. He continues to work with cystic fibrosis patients in New Mexico, where he also works as a track coach at a local school.

"I feel like one of the world's fortunate people. I changed her life and Melissa changed my life and continues to impact my life on a day-to-day basis," Dodson said. "I love to share this story. I couldn't give up on Melissa. I didn't want her to die without being convinced in her heart of hearts that she has a father who loves her."