Confronting Cancer Fund
Donation protected
Hello,
I am William Marino, and I am a Cancer patient.
I reside in Cuba, New Mexico with my wife Xiomara and have four children Mateo, Carlo, Dominic and Angelo and grandchild, the Emilie Rae. We have lived in the Land of Enchantment for 30 years.
I am embarking on this campaign with Go Fund Me with the purpose of meeting all the challenges of being a patient. This has been a monumental undertaking, primarily, at a time in which little seems certain; I would like our family to feel secure. As a long time public educator our resources were often limited but this was the sacrifice we were willing to make in order to contribute more to the family and community.
Born in Philadelphia, PA, I am the 4th of nine children of Jerry & Jean Marino. Throughout this process they have been wonderful, loving, generous and very supportive. My family moved across the Delaware to Victory Lakes, New Jersey, a quiet community alongside Williamstown situated mid-way between Philadelphia and Atlantic City among the pine-barrens-a summer vacation spot for many families. We attended St. Mary’s School and then Williamstown High where the focus shifted toward
Above : Mom and Dad's 20th . Below :Family reunion, early 80's complete with hair
Running, cross country & track and the Marino legacy nurtured.
Perhaps the origins of the running bug can be traced to a change in the bus route from school that left us 1 mile from home -walks developed into races to get home first and included strategies on how to be first across the line and get the peanut butter & jelly before it was all gone ! This was natural training at its best. This was spearheaded by #1 brother Jerry whom attended Bishop Newman in Philadelphia and won the city freshman title in cross country. Then came Vincent, myself and twin Michael along with Robert, John and Dave. There was a Marino in the program for many -many years and thousands of miles later. The hard work taught by dad could never be substituted.
After a successful high school career, the younger siblings took over. I competed as a member of the Southeastern Louisiana University Lions as well as Gloucester County Community College and continued my collegiate career in the Gulf Coast Region. Hammond & Louisiana have an incredible cultural heritage and I learned to embrace diversity. I completed a 3 year stint with Carpenters and Joiners Union 1846 in New Orleans. Carpentry opportunities were limited so I moved to New Mexico with my wife and the first of 4 children (all who grew up on the reservation) and armed with my teaching degree I embarked on a Journey to the Navajo Nation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Coaching is something I love and was born to do. I drew great inspiration from my high school coach, Al Grezcek a compassionate man and brilliant strategist. The lessons he taught had a deep influence as he cared deeply about his athletes, both on and off the field, and it impacted me in a colossal way.
I taught elementary school and started a coaching career that involved many USATF National Championship events with Torreon Day School, an Eastern Navajo Agency School with tons of talent. I had many memorable experiences as a 4th grade school teacher and cross country and track coach.
Atlanta , Georgia 2002
18 years later and fully acculturated, I ventured to Cuba, New Mexico, 26 miles to the southeast where I continued to coach and teach social studies and coach country and track in a diverse multi-cultural settling.
District & State Cross Country 2013
This immersion was a good fit and rewarding. Cuba, NM is quant and one of the more stunningly beautiful locations locations on earth. After the 2013-2014 school year stomach issues surfaced but other than bouts with famous red and green Chile, there was no history of gastro-intestinal ailments other than and a gall bladder removal many years before. Tests throughout the summer of 2014 did not show any obvious issues. But it did hasten that aforementioned discussion on health and fitness with Brother Jerry and the subsequent plan to visit the City of Brotherly Love and plan long term.
Little did I realize a conversation about fitness and conditioning and planning a program to participate in the Broad street 10 Miler in Philadelphia would change the course of my life. But it did and I am grateful. A conversation took place early in the fall of 2014 when my oldest brother, Jerry, encouraged me to mount a comeback of sorts since I had giving up competitive running to focus my energy on the demands of family, teaching, and coaching.
As a result of this discussion on health and fitness with my brother, and the subsequent plan to visit the City of Brotherly Love I began to address my health as a priority. In August 2014, an ultra sound was clean and subsequent ultra sound involving the upper GI; scheduled 3 months later at Thanksgiving revealed swollen lymph nodes (Retroperitoneal lymphadenopathy) and infected lymph nodes (adenocarcinoma) in the upper GI. A PT scan in early December affirmed the seriousness of my condition and a voice mail announcing that I was a set up with an oncologist made it clear and surgery was scheduled for a biopsy and a hernia, one week later. The hernia was a small hurdle within the fitness plan but offered a big revelation. On December 11th post-surgery comments were not good news. The surgeon confirmed a predominance of cancer infected lymph nodes as well as Gastro-intestinal tract, with no known origin, in the shoulder blade and the lymph nodes in the arm pits. The surgeon gave a less than eloquent doomsday prognosis limiting me to 5-18 months and reiterated it a day later to the family. Needless to say I was in shock and after many life memories flashed before me as I collected my thoughts and refused to believe this was true. A subsequent appointment with the oncologist on New Year’s Eve confirmed the results but the doctor assured me that the regimen of chemotherapy I was to be placed on was designed to address the issues at hand. He confirmed stage 4 cancer and explained that I had a chance at remission if I responded well to the treatments. Chances for recovery were officially “fair to poor”. I obtained a second opinion with MD Anderson in Phoenix, Arizona and they affirmed the findings of The Presbyterian Cancer Center and agreed to the program I was placed on as being the best option and it wouldn’t be necessary to take on treatments every 2 weeks nearly 500 miles away in Phoenix
I began treatments in January and have not able to work because of the side effects and risk of infection from students. I was placed on the Family Medical Leave Act where I exhausted all my leave. With the need to accompany me to treatments, my wife had to miss days in her job as a food srvice employee for our school system. Our income began to shrink. By the end of March the restricted hours I was allowed at school in April were and are not enough. The doctor stressed the risk and likelihood of infection while being exposed sick students during the susceptible winter months. Regardless, I had to take the risk to support my family. I have yet to be cleared for full time work. The part-time hours address payroll deductions and my medical plan, but have left us with a mountain of bills. The financial challenge of a reformed diet, endless co-pays, prescriptions, appointments and travel are taxing. Treatments take place in Albuquerque, NM and we live 75 miles from the 2 treatment facilities, and 90 miles from the other rehab and services. Traveling to chemotherapy sessions is costly as we average 2 trips a week for regular appointments, physical therapy, blood tests, and follow up appointments. Dietary needs and the cost for prescriptions associated with my health care remains prohibitive. I fully intend to recover and live well but the cost of treatment is a burden I cannot carry alone. The fact that I am restricted to part time employment has resulted in our need to seek outside financial assistance. We continue to receive collection calls for bills that originated in December. It is a matter of time before the January through June bills are due. The lack of income has made the challenge of dealing with my diagnosis and treatment even more strenuous. My part-time employment addresses my health care plan and partially pays the necessary deductions for taxes. I missed 3 months of work from January to March and have exhausted all of my leave and the family savings. The school district I work for has done everything possible but has run out of options. I would like to ease these financial burdens and be able to focus more on getting healthy yet at the same time of meet these financial responsibilities.
With gracious respect,
William Marino
I am William Marino, and I am a Cancer patient.
I reside in Cuba, New Mexico with my wife Xiomara and have four children Mateo, Carlo, Dominic and Angelo and grandchild, the Emilie Rae. We have lived in the Land of Enchantment for 30 years.
I am embarking on this campaign with Go Fund Me with the purpose of meeting all the challenges of being a patient. This has been a monumental undertaking, primarily, at a time in which little seems certain; I would like our family to feel secure. As a long time public educator our resources were often limited but this was the sacrifice we were willing to make in order to contribute more to the family and community.
Born in Philadelphia, PA, I am the 4th of nine children of Jerry & Jean Marino. Throughout this process they have been wonderful, loving, generous and very supportive. My family moved across the Delaware to Victory Lakes, New Jersey, a quiet community alongside Williamstown situated mid-way between Philadelphia and Atlantic City among the pine-barrens-a summer vacation spot for many families. We attended St. Mary’s School and then Williamstown High where the focus shifted toward
Above : Mom and Dad's 20th . Below :Family reunion, early 80's complete with hair
Running, cross country & track and the Marino legacy nurtured.
Perhaps the origins of the running bug can be traced to a change in the bus route from school that left us 1 mile from home -walks developed into races to get home first and included strategies on how to be first across the line and get the peanut butter & jelly before it was all gone ! This was natural training at its best. This was spearheaded by #1 brother Jerry whom attended Bishop Newman in Philadelphia and won the city freshman title in cross country. Then came Vincent, myself and twin Michael along with Robert, John and Dave. There was a Marino in the program for many -many years and thousands of miles later. The hard work taught by dad could never be substituted.
After a successful high school career, the younger siblings took over. I competed as a member of the Southeastern Louisiana University Lions as well as Gloucester County Community College and continued my collegiate career in the Gulf Coast Region. Hammond & Louisiana have an incredible cultural heritage and I learned to embrace diversity. I completed a 3 year stint with Carpenters and Joiners Union 1846 in New Orleans. Carpentry opportunities were limited so I moved to New Mexico with my wife and the first of 4 children (all who grew up on the reservation) and armed with my teaching degree I embarked on a Journey to the Navajo Nation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Coaching is something I love and was born to do. I drew great inspiration from my high school coach, Al Grezcek a compassionate man and brilliant strategist. The lessons he taught had a deep influence as he cared deeply about his athletes, both on and off the field, and it impacted me in a colossal way.
I taught elementary school and started a coaching career that involved many USATF National Championship events with Torreon Day School, an Eastern Navajo Agency School with tons of talent. I had many memorable experiences as a 4th grade school teacher and cross country and track coach.
Atlanta , Georgia 2002 18 years later and fully acculturated, I ventured to Cuba, New Mexico, 26 miles to the southeast where I continued to coach and teach social studies and coach country and track in a diverse multi-cultural settling.
District & State Cross Country 2013 This immersion was a good fit and rewarding. Cuba, NM is quant and one of the more stunningly beautiful locations locations on earth. After the 2013-2014 school year stomach issues surfaced but other than bouts with famous red and green Chile, there was no history of gastro-intestinal ailments other than and a gall bladder removal many years before. Tests throughout the summer of 2014 did not show any obvious issues. But it did hasten that aforementioned discussion on health and fitness with Brother Jerry and the subsequent plan to visit the City of Brotherly Love and plan long term.
Little did I realize a conversation about fitness and conditioning and planning a program to participate in the Broad street 10 Miler in Philadelphia would change the course of my life. But it did and I am grateful. A conversation took place early in the fall of 2014 when my oldest brother, Jerry, encouraged me to mount a comeback of sorts since I had giving up competitive running to focus my energy on the demands of family, teaching, and coaching.
As a result of this discussion on health and fitness with my brother, and the subsequent plan to visit the City of Brotherly Love I began to address my health as a priority. In August 2014, an ultra sound was clean and subsequent ultra sound involving the upper GI; scheduled 3 months later at Thanksgiving revealed swollen lymph nodes (Retroperitoneal lymphadenopathy) and infected lymph nodes (adenocarcinoma) in the upper GI. A PT scan in early December affirmed the seriousness of my condition and a voice mail announcing that I was a set up with an oncologist made it clear and surgery was scheduled for a biopsy and a hernia, one week later. The hernia was a small hurdle within the fitness plan but offered a big revelation. On December 11th post-surgery comments were not good news. The surgeon confirmed a predominance of cancer infected lymph nodes as well as Gastro-intestinal tract, with no known origin, in the shoulder blade and the lymph nodes in the arm pits. The surgeon gave a less than eloquent doomsday prognosis limiting me to 5-18 months and reiterated it a day later to the family. Needless to say I was in shock and after many life memories flashed before me as I collected my thoughts and refused to believe this was true. A subsequent appointment with the oncologist on New Year’s Eve confirmed the results but the doctor assured me that the regimen of chemotherapy I was to be placed on was designed to address the issues at hand. He confirmed stage 4 cancer and explained that I had a chance at remission if I responded well to the treatments. Chances for recovery were officially “fair to poor”. I obtained a second opinion with MD Anderson in Phoenix, Arizona and they affirmed the findings of The Presbyterian Cancer Center and agreed to the program I was placed on as being the best option and it wouldn’t be necessary to take on treatments every 2 weeks nearly 500 miles away in Phoenix
I began treatments in January and have not able to work because of the side effects and risk of infection from students. I was placed on the Family Medical Leave Act where I exhausted all my leave. With the need to accompany me to treatments, my wife had to miss days in her job as a food srvice employee for our school system. Our income began to shrink. By the end of March the restricted hours I was allowed at school in April were and are not enough. The doctor stressed the risk and likelihood of infection while being exposed sick students during the susceptible winter months. Regardless, I had to take the risk to support my family. I have yet to be cleared for full time work. The part-time hours address payroll deductions and my medical plan, but have left us with a mountain of bills. The financial challenge of a reformed diet, endless co-pays, prescriptions, appointments and travel are taxing. Treatments take place in Albuquerque, NM and we live 75 miles from the 2 treatment facilities, and 90 miles from the other rehab and services. Traveling to chemotherapy sessions is costly as we average 2 trips a week for regular appointments, physical therapy, blood tests, and follow up appointments. Dietary needs and the cost for prescriptions associated with my health care remains prohibitive. I fully intend to recover and live well but the cost of treatment is a burden I cannot carry alone. The fact that I am restricted to part time employment has resulted in our need to seek outside financial assistance. We continue to receive collection calls for bills that originated in December. It is a matter of time before the January through June bills are due. The lack of income has made the challenge of dealing with my diagnosis and treatment even more strenuous. My part-time employment addresses my health care plan and partially pays the necessary deductions for taxes. I missed 3 months of work from January to March and have exhausted all of my leave and the family savings. The school district I work for has done everything possible but has run out of options. I would like to ease these financial burdens and be able to focus more on getting healthy yet at the same time of meet these financial responsibilities.
With gracious respect,
William Marino
Organizer
William Marino
Organizer
Cuba, NM
