Kristy Clark tragically died of metastatic anorectal mucosal melanoma on December 17, 2025, a mere six weeks after her diagnosis upon the birth of her second child, a baby boy named Christopher. She was only 34 years old and had only just arrived in the US ten months prior to begin a new life together with her husband, Jacob Clark, and young daughter, Veronica.

Kristy was born Faith Kristy Velasco in Manila in the Philippines on November 18, 1991 to her parents Fernando and Maria Michelle Velasco. She grew up in Botswana in southern Africa, where her mother took a job as a pharmacist. Kristy's two younger brothers were born in that country.

In Botswana, Kristy could connect with the small close-knit Filipino community there. She also had the opportunity to immerse herself in a multi-cultural environment when she attended a prestigious international academy for high school. She went back to the Philippines to attend the University of Santo Tomas, the oldest university in Asia, where she majored in communications.

She eventually made her way to Japan in 2019 where she worked as an English teacher. It was there that she met Jacob who was also working as an English teacher. Their love story took off immediately. They were living in the city of Ota at the time, and when Jacob discovered that Ota was the sister city of Burbank, California, his birthplace, along with Gaborone, the capital city of Botswana, where Kristy grew up, they took this as a sign that they were destined to be together.

Kristy and Jacob were married in September of 2022. Veronica was born shortly after in August of 2023. It had long been Jacob's goal to take Kristy with him back to the US, his home country, but it was a long process to get her a visa. After two years of waiting, they were finally able to make the move in February of 2025. Unfortunately, what was supposed to be a new chapter in their life together turned out to be the end of their story...

Kristy was beautiful inside and out. Her gorgeous smile, admired by everyone who met her, simply radiated her inner beauty. She was kind, thoughtful, generous, humble, modest, purely selfless and good. She lived to give to others and loved unconditionally. She was an accomplished singer and songwriter. She had a beautiful voice and played the guitar expertly. On top of all that, she had a black belt in karate and was a natural born dancer.

But most of all, she was a devoted wife and mommy. She loved her babies mightily. All she wanted during her short fight with cancer was to be able to see them grow up. She didn't get that chance. It is the greatest tragedy that Veronica and Christopher will never remember her and her love for them beyond what their daddy can share with them.

Kristy endured all hardships, even her cancer, with long-suffering forbearance and quiet resolve. Her firm faith in God remained undeterred right up until the very end. As much as it hurts to have lost her, we know that her unwavering faith and lifetime of goodness and sefless love has been rewarded and she is at peace in eternal bliss with her Creator and Redeemer.

This fund has been established to honor her earthly memory and to help those suffering from this rare and aggressive form of cancer. Mucosal melanoma makes up only 1% of melanoma cases and given where it occurs, it is often not discovered until it is advanced, as in Kristy's case, giving it a poor prognosis. It is our hope that funding further research into mucosal melanoma can change this situation and give patients greater hope of a cure and survival, so that no more families are torn apart and little children left motherless by this terrible disease.

To donate by check, please note “In Memory of Kristy Clark” in the memo line and send to the address below:

Melanoma Research Foundation

P.O. Box 719329

PHILADELPHIA, PA 19171-9329

Thank you for your generosity.