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 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. Marshall responded well and was soon on the road to recovery and a cancer-free life. 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 suggest a strong possibility that it could return quickly and more aggressively. To find answers for Marshall, specialists are currently exploring both conventional and unconventional treatment plans, including new medical trials.

For Marshall, his next steps include monthly immunotherapy treatments along with alternative therapies and specialized dieting. Given Marshall’s youth, he and his team of doctors are in agreement to consider every angle and every form of treatment.

Moving forward, there will be a lot of upcoming travel to specialized medical centers in order to meet with doctors, seek more opinions and explore other forms of treatment. Unfortunately, not all treatments are covered by insurance.

In support of our man Marshall, we’re giving everyone the opportunity to help. Medical bills are certainly a factor, but the way forward also includes a new, costly diet along with travel and accommodations.

We’re grateful for any and all donations—there’s no amount too small. Everything goes directly to Marshall’s fight to stay healthy and to keep pushing what’s possible. Any unused contributions will be donated to TMH Cancer Center.

Marshall is inspired and encouraged by the love and support he’s experienced along the way. He’d like to give a sincere thank you to God, his wife Megan, his doctors at Mayo and TMH, his family, friends, and his work family (the amazing team at Redwire).
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Because of this incredible all-star lineup of support, our man’s difficult journey has been lifted by strength and positivity. We all feel the love. Especially Marshall.