Marshall's Story
In May of 2019, after performing an upper endoscopy, doctors discovered a malignant tumor in Marshall’s stomach. From there, he was initially diagnosed with a form of stomach cancer known as Adenocarcinoma. Soon after his diagnosis, the dedicated physicians and specialists at Tallahassee Memorial Cancer Center and The Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville formed a treatment plan tailored to Marshall’s condition.
In the span of 5 difficult months, Marshall endured 8 rounds of chemotherapy, leading to an eventual surgery in November. Known as an open gastrectomy, this procedure involves the removal of the entire stomach, and likely a challenging recovery. The surgery was a success and Marshall then began immunotherapy; however, subsequent biopsies revealed a different story.
Through the post-surgery tests, doctors discovered that the original tumor contained an extremely rare and aggressive form of cancer—a poorly differentiated carcinoma with squamous differentiation. There are very few cases of this particular cancer, and no 2 cases are alike—which means the data needed to find necessary treatment is unfortunately limited. Due to the dangerous and unpredictable nature of this kind of cancer, Marshall’s doctors suggested a strong possibility that it could return quickly and even more aggressively.
Come January 2020, tests showed the immunotherapy was not working as hoped and the cancer had spread to Marshall’s liver. At this stage, his cancer was considered terminal, with doctors stating that without new developments or findings he could potentially have 6 months to live. Marshall remained positive and his specialists explored every form of treatment, from conventional to unconventional plans including new medical trials at Sara Cannon Research Institute in Nashville, Tennessee.
Marshall and Megan packed up and moved to Nashville from March to June while he underwent a trial at Sara Cannon. They came back to Tallahassee in July when Marshall began a new route with radiation seed therapy which allowed them to be home while the radiation would take effect.
In September, scans revealed the radiation was also not successful. Additional avenues for treatment were discussed amongst he and his team of doctors. After much thought and prayer, Marshall decided to no longer undergo treatment, choosing quality of life as he closed out his battle with cancer. He and Megan set up in-home hospice care and established weekly in-home visits from the pastor who married them.
Marshall spent his final 2 months receiving medical attention at home and surrounded by family and friends. His close guys friends and cousins even hosted a Saturday backyard hangout while Marshall still had the energy. They celebrated his life and their friendships with fellowship, food, and music.
Marshall passed away Friday, November 13th, 2020 in the comfort of his own bedroom amongst his family, just as he had hoped. A remembrance service was held November 18th at Wildwood Presbyterian Church in Tallahassee. The service was recorded and can be viewed here.
Throughout Marshall’s battle with cancer, his relationship with Jesus Christ became central in his life. His faith became so strong that he said he almost felt guilty he would soon be in heaven and leaving all of us behind. He left this world hoping that his faith would leave a mark on others. We hope you take that with you upon reading this.
God Bless.
In the span of 5 difficult months, Marshall endured 8 rounds of chemotherapy, leading to an eventual surgery in November. Known as an open gastrectomy, this procedure involves the removal of the entire stomach, and likely a challenging recovery. The surgery was a success and Marshall then began immunotherapy; however, subsequent biopsies revealed a different story.
Through the post-surgery tests, doctors discovered that the original tumor contained an extremely rare and aggressive form of cancer—a poorly differentiated carcinoma with squamous differentiation. There are very few cases of this particular cancer, and no 2 cases are alike—which means the data needed to find necessary treatment is unfortunately limited. Due to the dangerous and unpredictable nature of this kind of cancer, Marshall’s doctors suggested a strong possibility that it could return quickly and even more aggressively.
Come January 2020, tests showed the immunotherapy was not working as hoped and the cancer had spread to Marshall’s liver. At this stage, his cancer was considered terminal, with doctors stating that without new developments or findings he could potentially have 6 months to live. Marshall remained positive and his specialists explored every form of treatment, from conventional to unconventional plans including new medical trials at Sara Cannon Research Institute in Nashville, Tennessee.
Marshall and Megan packed up and moved to Nashville from March to June while he underwent a trial at Sara Cannon. They came back to Tallahassee in July when Marshall began a new route with radiation seed therapy which allowed them to be home while the radiation would take effect.
In September, scans revealed the radiation was also not successful. Additional avenues for treatment were discussed amongst he and his team of doctors. After much thought and prayer, Marshall decided to no longer undergo treatment, choosing quality of life as he closed out his battle with cancer. He and Megan set up in-home hospice care and established weekly in-home visits from the pastor who married them.
Marshall spent his final 2 months receiving medical attention at home and surrounded by family and friends. His close guys friends and cousins even hosted a Saturday backyard hangout while Marshall still had the energy. They celebrated his life and their friendships with fellowship, food, and music.
Marshall passed away Friday, November 13th, 2020 in the comfort of his own bedroom amongst his family, just as he had hoped. A remembrance service was held November 18th at Wildwood Presbyterian Church in Tallahassee. The service was recorded and can be viewed here.
Throughout Marshall’s battle with cancer, his relationship with Jesus Christ became central in his life. His faith became so strong that he said he almost felt guilty he would soon be in heaven and leaving all of us behind. He left this world hoping that his faith would leave a mark on others. We hope you take that with you upon reading this.
God Bless.
