Officer Mark McCuller's Memorial
Donation protected
Mark and Tiffany- Wedding Highlights
Mark and Tiffany- A Love Story
Mark and Tiffany met in 2009 and from that first chance meeting, they both knew they were meant to be together. It was a match made in heaven. With his two sons and one daughter, and her two daughters and one son, they made a perfect modern day Brady Brunch. Only three months after that chance encounter, Tiffany who was a Special Education teacher was found unresponsive on the floor of her classroom. She was rushed to the ER and there, spent 36 days in ICU. She was suffering from a rare pancreatic disorder, and it was determined that she needed to have 3/4 of her pancreas removed and her spleen. Two months after the surgery, she fainted again, and there was no other choice but to remove the remainder of her pancreas. Since then she has endured a total of 14 surgeries including a pancreas transplant. Mark, still completely in love, was next to every hospital bed that Tiffany laid in. He slept countless nights on the floor of the ICU waiting room and spoke to every nurse and doctor he could- his love was unwavering. After her transplant, with her health improving, Mark and Tiffany wanted to make their love official and they were married on February 12, 2012. Unfortunately, one month prior to their their wedding, Tiffany began running high fevers. She spent half her wedding hooked up to IV antibiotic, and the couple had to forgo their honeymoon as Tiffany spent the next three weeks in the hospital. She was suffering from a rare form of Large B cell Non-Hodgkins lymphoma that was a result from the anti-rejection medications needed for her transplant. The transplant was removed with a softball sized tumor attached to it. The couple spent almost four years rebuilding her health, but also planning for the possibility of her death. During this time Mark, who was in the Marine Corps for 9 years, decided to return to school to get the last certification he needed to become a police officer which was always a life long dream of his. He worked full time, and then attended school for 4 hours a night for nearly a year. He never missed a single class and he graduated at the top of his class. He did all of this while also being an outstanding husband and father; spending any free time he could with Tiffany and their children. Mark joined the Southern Methodist University police department in February of 2015. He immediatly loved his job and was always asking how he could do more. In December 2015, not even a year after joining the police department, he was awarded the Police Commendation Award. He was also awarded a Certificate of Merit Award in February of 2016. Tragically, while Mark was protecting a construction site on July 5th, 2016, a flash flood swept him away. It took 50 days to finally recover Officer McCullers' body and he was laid to rest in the DFW national cemetary with full military honors on August 29th, 2016.
Due to political red tape, and the fact that Mark was working at a private university he was not awarded the state benefits typically afforded to fallen officers. Officer McCullers' family has not only lost their main source of income, but also their health insurance. With Tiffany's failing health, this situation poses an even bigger challenge.
Mark and Tiffany- A Love Story
Mark and Tiffany met in 2009 and from that first chance meeting, they both knew they were meant to be together. It was a match made in heaven. With his two sons and one daughter, and her two daughters and one son, they made a perfect modern day Brady Brunch. Only three months after that chance encounter, Tiffany who was a Special Education teacher was found unresponsive on the floor of her classroom. She was rushed to the ER and there, spent 36 days in ICU. She was suffering from a rare pancreatic disorder, and it was determined that she needed to have 3/4 of her pancreas removed and her spleen. Two months after the surgery, she fainted again, and there was no other choice but to remove the remainder of her pancreas. Since then she has endured a total of 14 surgeries including a pancreas transplant. Mark, still completely in love, was next to every hospital bed that Tiffany laid in. He slept countless nights on the floor of the ICU waiting room and spoke to every nurse and doctor he could- his love was unwavering. After her transplant, with her health improving, Mark and Tiffany wanted to make their love official and they were married on February 12, 2012. Unfortunately, one month prior to their their wedding, Tiffany began running high fevers. She spent half her wedding hooked up to IV antibiotic, and the couple had to forgo their honeymoon as Tiffany spent the next three weeks in the hospital. She was suffering from a rare form of Large B cell Non-Hodgkins lymphoma that was a result from the anti-rejection medications needed for her transplant. The transplant was removed with a softball sized tumor attached to it. The couple spent almost four years rebuilding her health, but also planning for the possibility of her death. During this time Mark, who was in the Marine Corps for 9 years, decided to return to school to get the last certification he needed to become a police officer which was always a life long dream of his. He worked full time, and then attended school for 4 hours a night for nearly a year. He never missed a single class and he graduated at the top of his class. He did all of this while also being an outstanding husband and father; spending any free time he could with Tiffany and their children. Mark joined the Southern Methodist University police department in February of 2015. He immediatly loved his job and was always asking how he could do more. In December 2015, not even a year after joining the police department, he was awarded the Police Commendation Award. He was also awarded a Certificate of Merit Award in February of 2016. Tragically, while Mark was protecting a construction site on July 5th, 2016, a flash flood swept him away. It took 50 days to finally recover Officer McCullers' body and he was laid to rest in the DFW national cemetary with full military honors on August 29th, 2016.
Due to political red tape, and the fact that Mark was working at a private university he was not awarded the state benefits typically afforded to fallen officers. Officer McCullers' family has not only lost their main source of income, but also their health insurance. With Tiffany's failing health, this situation poses an even bigger challenge.
Organizer and beneficiary
Autumn Garrett
Organizer
Garland, TX
Tiffany McCullers
Beneficiary
