Some stories break your heart and inspire you all at once.
This is one of them.
Alexis and her husband Marvin have been together since they were sixteen. Childhood sweethearts who built a life, a home, and a beautiful family together, with two daughters, aged 11 and 8, who completely adore their dad.
For years, Marv has battled multiple health challenges with unbelievable strength. Diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in his early twenties, and later with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), a rare, chronic liver disease, he faced each hurdle with calm, gratitude, and a quiet optimism that inspired everyone around him.
In 2022, after a routine scan, doctors discovered colon cancer, “the size of a lentil,” they said. It was caught just in time. He underwent major surgery to remove his bowel and gallbladder and to create a stoma. Most people would have broken under that weight, but not Marv. When his nurse apologised for him needing a stoma at such a young age, he simply smiled and said, “Don’t be sorry, it saved my life.” That’s who he is.
He remained determined to live fully, coaching football (his lifelong passion), running his business, being a devoted husband, and the most loving, hands on dad. Marv is a qualified A Licence football coach and still holds the record as Bristol City’s youngest ever first team player, debuting at just 16 years and 71 days.
But this summer, life took another devastating turn.
In May 2025, Marv began to feel unwell again, fatigued, restless, and in pain. After pushing for further scans, Alexis was given the news no family should ever have to hear, cholangiocarcinoma, an aggressive and rare bile duct cancer. It has since spread to his liver, lungs, and lymph nodes. Despite every fight for referrals, tests, and treatment, the consultants have now told Alexis that there is no cure, and that they are preparing to bring Marv home for end of life care.
He is just 42 years old.
Who Marv Is
Marv is the most chilled, kind hearted, quietly funny person you’ll ever meet. He believes deeply in stoicism, calm in chaos, and that strength has carried his family through every storm.
He is an incredible dad who made special handshakes with each of his daughters, a devoted husband who still made Alexis laugh every day, and the kind of person everyone roots for because he’s just so easy to love.
Even from his hospital bed, he’s joking with nurses and finding ways to bring light to the room. That’s Marv, always the calm to Alexis’s storm.
Why We’re Raising Funds
Because of Marv’s pre existing health conditions, he has never been able to secure life insurance.
He has now had to stop working, and Alexis is doing everything she can to hold their family together, working full time, caring for their daughters, and spending every spare moment at the hospital.
The funds raised here will help:
- Cover funeral costs when the time comes.
- Support mortgage payments and bills, giving Alexis and the girls time to breathe and adjust.
- Create memory boxes for their daughters, filled with keepsakes, letters, and the love of the dad they adore.
- Offer a bit of stability in a time when everything else feels uncertain.
No family should have to face this kind of heartbreak while worrying about how they’ll keep a roof over their heads.
❤️ How You Can Help
Every single donation, big or small, will make a tangible difference.
If you can’t donate, simply sharing this page helps us reach more people who can.
Let’s show Alexis and her girls that they’re not alone.
Let’s help lift some of the weight off their shoulders so they can focus on what truly matters, time together, love, and saying goodbye with peace instead of panic.
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for reading and for caring.
—
With love,
Georgie, and the wider community supporting Alexis, Marv, and their daughters.
x
Organizer and beneficiary
Georgie Bowden
Organizer
England
Alexis Brown
Beneficiary