Melissa Holly Heins was born Sept 29, 1991 in Winnipeg, Manitoba to Joanne and Jim Heins, and was a sister to Josh.

When Melissa was little she loved horses, running, and cats; her love of cats carried through to her older years. She grew up a farm girl and always kept her love for the outdoors. Melissa loved watching hockey and her favorite team was the Ottawa Senators. She also had a love for cooking, so went to college in Ottawa and got a degree in culinary arts.

Melissa loved to travel and has been to eleven countries. She was independent and moved around a lot. She eventually settled on a job in Melville with Canadian National Railways, and she loved it. When Melissa met her boyfriend Chris, Melville really turned into her new home.