I'm Riding For

Stephanie Marshall

We lost Stephaine to cancer on April 11th 2015. On December 3rd 2014 she was diagnosed with Anaplastic astrocytoma. This is a rare malignant brain tumor and the doctors told us immediately. There was no chance of survival. Steph was only on this earth for a little over 13 years. She lived each day full of love and laughter. She put others before herself. That was proven again while battling cancer. Her goal was to help other kids like herself battling cancer and help the families as well. That's when we created a website called A Mission Of Love. Since her passing it's now a national non profit charity. The best way to describe my daughter, is with a conversation we had before a surgery. I said I wish I could take her tumor and put it inside me instead of her having it. She said. "But Dad. I don't want you to have it". This world couldn't take her smile, her laughter or the love from her heart. Cancer couldn't either. It could only change her appearance, it could never change who she was. However, hospice could. The day we rushed her to the hospital. She had a massive seizure during a scan. Within minutes her Oncologist was on the phone. With the words that broke my heart. "Dad we're here. She probably has only 2 or 3 hours left to live". My thoughts went back to a conversation I had a few hours earlier with her. I walked into her room and the song best day of my life was playing on the TV. She pointed to it and I knew that was a question she wanted me to ask. So I did. She replied meeting Gabriel Iglesias and then asked what was yours. I said meeting her when she was born and becoming a father. I told her I loved her and would check in on her soon. Steph never spoke again. 7 years later, the pain is still the same. This is a wound time will never heal. No parent should ever have to say goodbye. Without being able to say hello again. -- Thank You. JD Marshall 586-747-8145 Co Founder "A Mission Of Love"