Provision for the Marshall Family's Health Journey
Donation protected
"When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on." - Franklin D. Roosevelt
In October of 2016, our friend and church brother, Kyle Marshall was diagnosed with late stage testicular cancer. After undergoing four months of chemo therapy and being declared in remission, Kyle was then diagnosed with Paraneoplastic Autoimmune Limbic Encephalitis (AE), a rare disease that has resulted in cognitive decline, bouts of paralysis, seizures, and a lingering brain injury. To make matters worse, a few weeks after this diagnosis, Kyle lost his job and was forced to relinquish his shares to his beloved company.
Though Kyle is currently engaged in speech and occupational therapy, he, his wife Kristine, and his four children (Hannah (9), Joshua (7), Benjamin (6), and Evelyn (4)) have had to drain their savings, dissolve their 401K, and sell many of their possessions in order to make ends meet. During this season of hardship, Kristine has begun a small company, Comfy Care, in order to help contribute financially, while continuing to care for her children and serve as Kyle's primary caregiver.
Please join us in loving and supporting the Marshall family in this season. Our hope is to help meet tangible needs by giving financial gifts alongside our prayers.
As you prayerfully consider how to help, please continue reading as Kyle and Kristine give a fuller picture of what this season has entailed for their family.
Kristine: "We are high school sweethearts that have now been married for 14 1/2 years. Prior to illness striking, Kyle was the proud owner of a business located in Bryan, Texas and I ran our household & adored homeschooling our four children.
In October of 2016 Kyle was diagnosed with late stage testicular cancer. After undergoing a radical orchiectomy and recovering from that, we learned that the cancer had spread into the lymphs in Kyle's abdomen. Kyle affectionately named his kidney sized tumor 'Big Boy'. He under went 20 grueling chemo treatments over a 4 month period.
A month after completing chemo Kyle 'passed' his CT scan and was declared in remission. However, instead of gradually starting to feel better Kyle started declining. The decline was slow at first and he was sent from specialist to specialist all trying to figure out what was going on. Cardiologist, Neurologist, Oncologist, Urologist ....then 2 hospital stays. The exhaustion and cognitive decline turn into bouts of paralysis, seizures and his body slowly shutting down. We were sent to the Cleveland Clinic where Kyle was diagnosed with an extremely rare disease called Paraneoplastic Autoimmune Limbic Encephalitis (AE for short). We spent two hard months separated from our kids but were EXTREMELY thankful to have found a diagnosis and a treatment.
Kyle left Cleveland walking and talking but the AE had left behind some ugly remains. Kyle was diagnosed with an acquired brain injury and is still in rehab gaining lost skills back. He is in speech therapy and occupational therapy several times a week on top of the slew of specialists he sees regularly. Sadly a few short weeks after returning from Cleveland Kyle lost his job and was forced to relinquish the shares to his company that he so dearly loved. It was a sad dark time and yet the Lord's faithfulness shone through.
Due to finding Dave Ramsey early in our marriage we were able to go into this season of hardship debt free. After draining all savings, selling belongings, draining and closing the 401k that Kyle has had since high school, we began to accumulate debt for the first time in 10 years.
Being stuck between between a rock and a hard place we have made the decision to place our kids into public school to free up my time so that I can devote this next season to better tending to Kyle as well as getting my business Comfy Care off the ground. Comfy Care is a product company that I started during Kyle's chemo treatment. See www.comfycareclothing.com for more details. The goal is to become financially independent as quickly as possible."
Kyle: "This trial has brought me closer to my Lord, Jesus Christ. He fills me with joy and peace and gives me an identity in him that can't be stripped away. No matter what.
I have missed a lot of family events especially during chemo, but on the other hand I'm getting to spend a lot of time with my family now. I'm really blessed to be in my mid-30s with my children still young and really get to invest some time into them at this age. I'm glad I didn't miss that due to working too much building a career. I cherish my wife much more now; she is precious to me. She looks at me and says, "You are a warrior and you are strong." And I actually believe her.
Recovery has been slow. You don’t just get deemed ‘in remission’ and then all of a sudden you’re better. It takes a toll on your body and your life. It’s rehabilitation. You have to learn how to live with your new limitations.
A positive that has come from going through cancer: My wife started a business while sitting next to me at the cancer center during my treatment called Comfy Care. She wanted to make helpful, comfortable, and affordable clothing and accessories for cancer patients going through chemo. Since losing my job due to the cancer, it is comforting to know that we are building a family business that one day should be able to support us. I’m so thankful that she started it up during my treatment because I had no way to know that I would be shortly after losing my job and my ownership in my business."
In October of 2016, our friend and church brother, Kyle Marshall was diagnosed with late stage testicular cancer. After undergoing four months of chemo therapy and being declared in remission, Kyle was then diagnosed with Paraneoplastic Autoimmune Limbic Encephalitis (AE), a rare disease that has resulted in cognitive decline, bouts of paralysis, seizures, and a lingering brain injury. To make matters worse, a few weeks after this diagnosis, Kyle lost his job and was forced to relinquish his shares to his beloved company.
Though Kyle is currently engaged in speech and occupational therapy, he, his wife Kristine, and his four children (Hannah (9), Joshua (7), Benjamin (6), and Evelyn (4)) have had to drain their savings, dissolve their 401K, and sell many of their possessions in order to make ends meet. During this season of hardship, Kristine has begun a small company, Comfy Care, in order to help contribute financially, while continuing to care for her children and serve as Kyle's primary caregiver.
Please join us in loving and supporting the Marshall family in this season. Our hope is to help meet tangible needs by giving financial gifts alongside our prayers.
As you prayerfully consider how to help, please continue reading as Kyle and Kristine give a fuller picture of what this season has entailed for their family.
Kristine: "We are high school sweethearts that have now been married for 14 1/2 years. Prior to illness striking, Kyle was the proud owner of a business located in Bryan, Texas and I ran our household & adored homeschooling our four children.
In October of 2016 Kyle was diagnosed with late stage testicular cancer. After undergoing a radical orchiectomy and recovering from that, we learned that the cancer had spread into the lymphs in Kyle's abdomen. Kyle affectionately named his kidney sized tumor 'Big Boy'. He under went 20 grueling chemo treatments over a 4 month period.
A month after completing chemo Kyle 'passed' his CT scan and was declared in remission. However, instead of gradually starting to feel better Kyle started declining. The decline was slow at first and he was sent from specialist to specialist all trying to figure out what was going on. Cardiologist, Neurologist, Oncologist, Urologist ....then 2 hospital stays. The exhaustion and cognitive decline turn into bouts of paralysis, seizures and his body slowly shutting down. We were sent to the Cleveland Clinic where Kyle was diagnosed with an extremely rare disease called Paraneoplastic Autoimmune Limbic Encephalitis (AE for short). We spent two hard months separated from our kids but were EXTREMELY thankful to have found a diagnosis and a treatment.
Kyle left Cleveland walking and talking but the AE had left behind some ugly remains. Kyle was diagnosed with an acquired brain injury and is still in rehab gaining lost skills back. He is in speech therapy and occupational therapy several times a week on top of the slew of specialists he sees regularly. Sadly a few short weeks after returning from Cleveland Kyle lost his job and was forced to relinquish the shares to his company that he so dearly loved. It was a sad dark time and yet the Lord's faithfulness shone through.
Due to finding Dave Ramsey early in our marriage we were able to go into this season of hardship debt free. After draining all savings, selling belongings, draining and closing the 401k that Kyle has had since high school, we began to accumulate debt for the first time in 10 years.
Being stuck between between a rock and a hard place we have made the decision to place our kids into public school to free up my time so that I can devote this next season to better tending to Kyle as well as getting my business Comfy Care off the ground. Comfy Care is a product company that I started during Kyle's chemo treatment. See www.comfycareclothing.com for more details. The goal is to become financially independent as quickly as possible."
Kyle: "This trial has brought me closer to my Lord, Jesus Christ. He fills me with joy and peace and gives me an identity in him that can't be stripped away. No matter what.
I have missed a lot of family events especially during chemo, but on the other hand I'm getting to spend a lot of time with my family now. I'm really blessed to be in my mid-30s with my children still young and really get to invest some time into them at this age. I'm glad I didn't miss that due to working too much building a career. I cherish my wife much more now; she is precious to me. She looks at me and says, "You are a warrior and you are strong." And I actually believe her.
Recovery has been slow. You don’t just get deemed ‘in remission’ and then all of a sudden you’re better. It takes a toll on your body and your life. It’s rehabilitation. You have to learn how to live with your new limitations.
A positive that has come from going through cancer: My wife started a business while sitting next to me at the cancer center during my treatment called Comfy Care. She wanted to make helpful, comfortable, and affordable clothing and accessories for cancer patients going through chemo. Since losing my job due to the cancer, it is comforting to know that we are building a family business that one day should be able to support us. I’m so thankful that she started it up during my treatment because I had no way to know that I would be shortly after losing my job and my ownership in my business."
Organizer
Patrick Sleebos
Organizer
College Station, TX