Marc

Marc enjoyed doing things every 4 year old boy usually likes to do.  In February of 1986, Marc’s left eye was turning in and he began having difficulty keeping his balance.  Our pediatrician sent us to an Ophthalmologist, who in turn sent us to a Neurologist and a Neurosurgeon at Children’s Hospital Colorado where Marc was diagnosed with a brain tumor on February 17, 1986.  After surgery and radiation therapy, Marc was determined to overcome his disabilities.

Thanks to the encouragement of doctors, nurses, and other staff members at Children’s Colorado, Marc was able to enjoy 18 more years of life, playing soccer, having a Bar Mitzvah, participating in recreational swim team, high school cross-country and track, attending college, skiing, mountain climbing, tutoring a Japanese student in English, and on-stage theater performances.  Marc loved helping others and looked forward to volunteering with his family every Christmas day at Children’s Hospital.

Unfortunately, 16 years later, Marc’s cancer returned.  While Marc was going through experimental chemotherapy, he remarked that if the drug did not help him, perhaps the study might help someone else.  Marc’s life was cut short at age 22.

He never dwelled on the negative and his perseverance inspired everyone who knew him.  When Marc found out his blood type was “B positive,” that became his motto.  It would certainly have been his wish that fundraising for research continues, so that in the future, the cure for childhood cancer can be found.