The Seth Marcus Recovery Fund
Donation protected
This September, our beloved friend and brother Seth Marcus was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma - a cancer of the lymph system which can spread throughout the body. Believe it or not, when it comes to cancer, Hodgkin’s was the best we could hope for; it is one of the most treatable cancers and Seth has an excellent prognosis to cure it! But our initial relief was immediately dampened when we learned that his case has been complicated very seriously from the beginning by severe, painful and still undiagnosed abnormalities involving the stomach, bile ducts and liver. It’s been a long road of constant testing, extreme pain, and no real answers so far. All we know right now is that the road to recovery through both chemo and holistic methods will be incredibly difficult... and expensive.
That's why we (Seth's A-Team!) are asking for your help in getting him back to the healthy, active life he so meaningfully deserves.
Despite his medical challenges, Seth is incredibly fortunate to have his mother, Susan, who loves him beyond measure, AND is an incredibly skilled doctor. If you have to suffer through cancer plus mystery illnesses, having your mom there to literally mother AND doctor you 24/7 is pretty incredible, and that’s just what Susan has done. Just a few days into Seth’s illness, Susan left her home in Cincinnati and has been by his side ceaselessly. While every mother in this situation wishes she could care for her child with medical skill and knowledge, Susan actually can and does. She is his doctor, his nurse, his advocate, and his best friend. Unfortunately, her choice to be with her son (which any mother would make 100 times over) has cost her both of her jobs in Ohio and she is now without an income.
Her love and unwavering dedication to his wellness are keeping Seth as confident and strong as possible, but they need more than love and dedication to get through this.
Your financial support will make sure that both Seth and Susan come out the other side of treatment without the financial burden that plagues most cancer survivors. With the funds raised in this campaign, they can continue to do what Seth needs most - to get back to being his superhuman-like self in 2020
OTHER WAYS TO CONTRIBUTE
In honor of how Seth lives a mindful life, several teachers and trainers from CorePower Yoga and Pearl Street Fitness will host special classes where 100% of the proceeds go towards Seth's recovery fund. These will be updated and linked to Facebook events shortly:
Date/time: Saturday, October 12 at 10:00 am
Pearl Street Fitness, 1107 S Pearl St, Denver, CO 80210
Instructor: Drew DeOrsey
Class: Strength & Conditioning
Cost: $15-20 (depending on membership)
**RAISED $3,300
Date/time: October 20 at 3:30 pm
ColorUp Therapeutics,
Instructor: Adam Brous
Class: Yoga
Cost: $15-25 (depending on membership)
**RAISED $534
Date/time: Wednesday, November 6 at 4:30 PM
Corepower Yoga - Cherry Hills, 5004 E Hampden Ave, Denver, CO 80222
Instructor: Melissa Schacht
Class: Yoga
Cost: $20-25 (depending on membership)
If you prefer to send money directly, please make your check out to Susan Marcus and send it to the following address:
SETH MARCUS
RE: RECOVERY FUND
2616 S LEYDEN ST
DENVER, CO 80222
HOW YOUR DONATION WILL BE USED
The majority of donations raised in this campaign will go towards paying Seth's increasing medical bills. Some of the funds will also be given to his rock star mother and father, who are taking on the financial burden by partially funding Seth's treatment while missing out on both of Susan's part-time paid positions.
SETH’S JOURNEY
Seth Marcus is a true friend and lover of life. He has a deep passion for all things positive in this world: music, meditation, diet and exercise, journaling, travel, and (as you may well know) bringing good people together. He is constantly working to find ways to improve himself while influencing the people around him to be their best selves, too. This is the driving force behind him founding The MindMill , a podcast and journaling booklet that help inspire others to be ambitious, creative, and mindful.
When he's not working on The MindMill, you'll find Seth spending time with friends and family between travels that take him across the globe. One-on-one, Seth is curious, kind, and open to new ideas. He's always willing to lend a helping hand or be a shoulder to lean on. His pool parties and barbecues are some of the best in Denver - not just because of the awesome people he surrounds himself with, but because he's so damn awesome himself.
After coming home from a friend's birthday dinner at the end of August, however, Seth felt a bit off... like maybe something he ate didn't agree with him. He assumed he had food poisoning but the abdominal pain increased throughout the day, so Seth decided it was time to go to the ER. Thank God he did! The pain was getting unbearable and he wasn't showing any signs of improvement. By the next day, Susan decided this was serious enough to fly out to Denver.
While running tests for the stomach pains, Seth's doctors noticed a second problem: a growth in his chest. He was quickly diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Cancer.
Believe it or not, the cancer was the good news! They caught it super early, and Hodgkin’s is the most treatable cancer. Unfortunately, the unrelated abdominal pains that got him in the building, and quite possibly saved his life, are still undiagnosed, cripplingly painful, and causing drastic weight loss. According to Seth, one of the most tortuous aspects of his illness is the unique emotional toll of living with the unknown since the explanation for (and solution to) his abdominal pain and wasting still eludes all his doctors in Denver, so much so that he was recently transported to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota to seek alternative solutions!
On a day-to-day basis, Seth is working to overcome the mental and physical effects of his chemo treatment while dealing with the intense physical pain from his upper abdomen issues. While there's still a long road ahead, we're confident Seth will beat both the cancer AND this mysterious wasting disease, and become his vibrant self once again.
SUSAN'S JOURNEY
Susan knew that Seth was meant to be his own person from the instant he took his first breath. Their unique bond was forged through shared interests and laughter rather than scraped knees and after school activities. She even learned everything about skateboarding when he was obsessed in middle school so that she could talk with him about the activity he loved so dearly! Needless to say, she's not your average mother.
Seth began to make a real effort after he left Ohio to be affectionate with Susan whenever they were together. It was difficult for Susan, as she wanted those little moments of small talk, knowing the details of the day, being present for the little things in life. That's why they began going on road trips and hikes together in the Rocky Mountains whenever she'd visit. Their mother-son relationship has a level of comfortability and companionship that few others get to enjoy.
She was the first person Seth called when he wasn't feeling quite so right last month. She initially thought it was gallstones and told him to get to the hospital. When everything was ruled out and he was still in pain, she packed up a small bag and flew out to help figure things out, not knowing what was in store for them. She and Seth were together when a chest scan incidentally showed a large mass of cancer, and she was absolutely devastated.
It's been an incredible honor to have the opportunity to demonstrate how much she loves him through this most desperate time of his life. No matter how little sleep she gets, she has not felt completely fatigued. All of her being is put into staying strong for Seth. She also uses her medical expertise to diagnose and treat any issues that come up on a day to day basis, which has helped him get through . Seth would not be able to get through this without her knowledge and support.
Susan's support, however, has led to one of her jobs letting her go. She's also at risk of losing her other job, which would be a very hard hit for her and her husband, David. This adds a significant amount of stress to the financial burden that Seth's treatment has already put on their family. If we raise enough money to cover Seth's medical bills, the leftover funds will be used to help her get back on her feet while she starts her own business.
A MESSAGE FROM SETH & SUSAN
"Thank you so so much for the thoughtful messages and calls. It means the world, and I apologize if it's taken some time for me to get back with you.
Sometimes I forget how blessed I am to be a part of such a supportive and loving community. We get so involved in our current goals, deals, dramas, and routines; it's hard to see the forest for the trees. Perspective is everything, and sometimes it takes a big event to bring attention back to what's most important; loving relationships and the time we get to spend with others.
The last week have been some of the most difficult, and perspective shifting days of my life. I really cannot understate how grateful I am for my mother, her medical expertise, compassion, kindness, and dedication to helping me get better.
We are very optimistic that this will be a short, and relatively simple road to recovery. I appreciate your support and love. It's been incredibly helpful to know that I am not in this alone.
I love you all very very much."
~ Seth
"As soon as Seth's chest x-ray at the ER showed a large mass, I knew it had to be lymphoma. The first thing I did was to pray to God for help, then I texted some of my faith sisters to pour out their hearts to the Lord on Seth's behalf. From that moment on, the word of our need spread rapidly in wider and wider circles and the waves of support, prayer, light and love started flowing in unceasingly.
Some of that love has flowed directly to David back home working in Cincinnati (flying out every few weeks) and some has poured over me and Seth in Denver. Some folks do not even know me, much less Seth, but they are responding to our cry for help.
Seth, David and I have been absolutely overwhelmed with wonder, awe-struck humility and gratitude in the presence of such incredible kindness and generosity. It has struck me that while I would never wish these circumstances on ourselves nor on anyone, I cannot deny the unique opportunity to see God's love for us in the actions of His children. Over and over they are His tender hands feeding, fixing, soothing, giving; His embracing arms holding, supporting; His voice of encouragement, advice, affection, laughter; and His infinite heart listening, weeping, comforting, loving.
On behalf of David and I, we love you all!"
~ Susan
That's why we (Seth's A-Team!) are asking for your help in getting him back to the healthy, active life he so meaningfully deserves.
Despite his medical challenges, Seth is incredibly fortunate to have his mother, Susan, who loves him beyond measure, AND is an incredibly skilled doctor. If you have to suffer through cancer plus mystery illnesses, having your mom there to literally mother AND doctor you 24/7 is pretty incredible, and that’s just what Susan has done. Just a few days into Seth’s illness, Susan left her home in Cincinnati and has been by his side ceaselessly. While every mother in this situation wishes she could care for her child with medical skill and knowledge, Susan actually can and does. She is his doctor, his nurse, his advocate, and his best friend. Unfortunately, her choice to be with her son (which any mother would make 100 times over) has cost her both of her jobs in Ohio and she is now without an income.
Her love and unwavering dedication to his wellness are keeping Seth as confident and strong as possible, but they need more than love and dedication to get through this.
Your financial support will make sure that both Seth and Susan come out the other side of treatment without the financial burden that plagues most cancer survivors. With the funds raised in this campaign, they can continue to do what Seth needs most - to get back to being his superhuman-like self in 2020
OTHER WAYS TO CONTRIBUTE
In honor of how Seth lives a mindful life, several teachers and trainers from CorePower Yoga and Pearl Street Fitness will host special classes where 100% of the proceeds go towards Seth's recovery fund. These will be updated and linked to Facebook events shortly:
Date/time: Saturday, October 12 at 10:00 am
Pearl Street Fitness, 1107 S Pearl St, Denver, CO 80210
Instructor: Drew DeOrsey
Class: Strength & Conditioning
Cost: $15-20 (depending on membership)
**RAISED $3,300
Date/time: October 20 at 3:30 pm
ColorUp Therapeutics,
Instructor: Adam Brous
Class: Yoga
Cost: $15-25 (depending on membership)
**RAISED $534
Date/time: Wednesday, November 6 at 4:30 PM
Corepower Yoga - Cherry Hills, 5004 E Hampden Ave, Denver, CO 80222
Instructor: Melissa Schacht
Class: Yoga
Cost: $20-25 (depending on membership)
If you prefer to send money directly, please make your check out to Susan Marcus and send it to the following address:
SETH MARCUS
RE: RECOVERY FUND
2616 S LEYDEN ST
DENVER, CO 80222
HOW YOUR DONATION WILL BE USED
The majority of donations raised in this campaign will go towards paying Seth's increasing medical bills. Some of the funds will also be given to his rock star mother and father, who are taking on the financial burden by partially funding Seth's treatment while missing out on both of Susan's part-time paid positions.
SETH’S JOURNEY
Seth Marcus is a true friend and lover of life. He has a deep passion for all things positive in this world: music, meditation, diet and exercise, journaling, travel, and (as you may well know) bringing good people together. He is constantly working to find ways to improve himself while influencing the people around him to be their best selves, too. This is the driving force behind him founding The MindMill , a podcast and journaling booklet that help inspire others to be ambitious, creative, and mindful.
When he's not working on The MindMill, you'll find Seth spending time with friends and family between travels that take him across the globe. One-on-one, Seth is curious, kind, and open to new ideas. He's always willing to lend a helping hand or be a shoulder to lean on. His pool parties and barbecues are some of the best in Denver - not just because of the awesome people he surrounds himself with, but because he's so damn awesome himself.
After coming home from a friend's birthday dinner at the end of August, however, Seth felt a bit off... like maybe something he ate didn't agree with him. He assumed he had food poisoning but the abdominal pain increased throughout the day, so Seth decided it was time to go to the ER. Thank God he did! The pain was getting unbearable and he wasn't showing any signs of improvement. By the next day, Susan decided this was serious enough to fly out to Denver.
While running tests for the stomach pains, Seth's doctors noticed a second problem: a growth in his chest. He was quickly diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Cancer.
Believe it or not, the cancer was the good news! They caught it super early, and Hodgkin’s is the most treatable cancer. Unfortunately, the unrelated abdominal pains that got him in the building, and quite possibly saved his life, are still undiagnosed, cripplingly painful, and causing drastic weight loss. According to Seth, one of the most tortuous aspects of his illness is the unique emotional toll of living with the unknown since the explanation for (and solution to) his abdominal pain and wasting still eludes all his doctors in Denver, so much so that he was recently transported to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota to seek alternative solutions!
On a day-to-day basis, Seth is working to overcome the mental and physical effects of his chemo treatment while dealing with the intense physical pain from his upper abdomen issues. While there's still a long road ahead, we're confident Seth will beat both the cancer AND this mysterious wasting disease, and become his vibrant self once again.
SUSAN'S JOURNEY
Susan knew that Seth was meant to be his own person from the instant he took his first breath. Their unique bond was forged through shared interests and laughter rather than scraped knees and after school activities. She even learned everything about skateboarding when he was obsessed in middle school so that she could talk with him about the activity he loved so dearly! Needless to say, she's not your average mother.
Seth began to make a real effort after he left Ohio to be affectionate with Susan whenever they were together. It was difficult for Susan, as she wanted those little moments of small talk, knowing the details of the day, being present for the little things in life. That's why they began going on road trips and hikes together in the Rocky Mountains whenever she'd visit. Their mother-son relationship has a level of comfortability and companionship that few others get to enjoy.
She was the first person Seth called when he wasn't feeling quite so right last month. She initially thought it was gallstones and told him to get to the hospital. When everything was ruled out and he was still in pain, she packed up a small bag and flew out to help figure things out, not knowing what was in store for them. She and Seth were together when a chest scan incidentally showed a large mass of cancer, and she was absolutely devastated.
It's been an incredible honor to have the opportunity to demonstrate how much she loves him through this most desperate time of his life. No matter how little sleep she gets, she has not felt completely fatigued. All of her being is put into staying strong for Seth. She also uses her medical expertise to diagnose and treat any issues that come up on a day to day basis, which has helped him get through . Seth would not be able to get through this without her knowledge and support.
Susan's support, however, has led to one of her jobs letting her go. She's also at risk of losing her other job, which would be a very hard hit for her and her husband, David. This adds a significant amount of stress to the financial burden that Seth's treatment has already put on their family. If we raise enough money to cover Seth's medical bills, the leftover funds will be used to help her get back on her feet while she starts her own business.
A MESSAGE FROM SETH & SUSAN
"Thank you so so much for the thoughtful messages and calls. It means the world, and I apologize if it's taken some time for me to get back with you.
Sometimes I forget how blessed I am to be a part of such a supportive and loving community. We get so involved in our current goals, deals, dramas, and routines; it's hard to see the forest for the trees. Perspective is everything, and sometimes it takes a big event to bring attention back to what's most important; loving relationships and the time we get to spend with others.
The last week have been some of the most difficult, and perspective shifting days of my life. I really cannot understate how grateful I am for my mother, her medical expertise, compassion, kindness, and dedication to helping me get better.
We are very optimistic that this will be a short, and relatively simple road to recovery. I appreciate your support and love. It's been incredibly helpful to know that I am not in this alone.
I love you all very very much."
~ Seth
"As soon as Seth's chest x-ray at the ER showed a large mass, I knew it had to be lymphoma. The first thing I did was to pray to God for help, then I texted some of my faith sisters to pour out their hearts to the Lord on Seth's behalf. From that moment on, the word of our need spread rapidly in wider and wider circles and the waves of support, prayer, light and love started flowing in unceasingly.
Some of that love has flowed directly to David back home working in Cincinnati (flying out every few weeks) and some has poured over me and Seth in Denver. Some folks do not even know me, much less Seth, but they are responding to our cry for help.
Seth, David and I have been absolutely overwhelmed with wonder, awe-struck humility and gratitude in the presence of such incredible kindness and generosity. It has struck me that while I would never wish these circumstances on ourselves nor on anyone, I cannot deny the unique opportunity to see God's love for us in the actions of His children. Over and over they are His tender hands feeding, fixing, soothing, giving; His embracing arms holding, supporting; His voice of encouragement, advice, affection, laughter; and His infinite heart listening, weeping, comforting, loving.
On behalf of David and I, we love you all!"
~ Susan
Fundraising team: Seth's A-Team (10)
Amy Baglan
Organizer
Denver, CO
Michael H. Kaplan
Beneficiary
Adam Brous
Team member
Susan McElroy-Marcus
Team member
Jake Holschuh
Team member
Ann Kaplan
Team member