The Patten Family Needs Our Help!
Tricia and Jim Patten spent the last year helping their son, Marshall, fight cancer. Marshall was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in February of 2020. Marshall went through months of chemotherapy. He also had surgery and intensive therapy to regain the strength and mobility in his leg. During his journey with osteosarcoma treatment, Marshall decided he wanted to be a mentor to other kids diagnosed with osteosarcoma. He will definitely be a great role model thanks to his positive attitude and his amazing family support system. His mom, dad, and sister were instrumental in helping him stay positive and strong during his fight against cancer. On April 19th, 2021, he had his 6-month, post-chemo scans and there was no evidence of cancer! Imagine the relief!
Well, cancer didn't leave the Patten family alone for long. In mid-May, Tricia was diagnosed with breast cancer. They just went through the fight of their life for Marshall and now they have to do it again. Tricia will go through months of chemotherapy followed by surgery and radiation treatments. The cancer is fast growing but they caught it early and they already have an aggressive plan in place to fight it. Marshall will not only be a mentor for kids with osteosarcoma, he will be an important mentor to his mom.
Tricia, her husband, Jim, Marshall (17), and Brynn (13) live in Appleton, Wisconsin. Marshall played hockey up until a few years ago and Brynn is still very involved in hockey. Jim coaches hockey at the local rink in Appleton. Even while Marshall was fighting cancer, Jim and Tricia kept life as normal as possible for both Brynn and Marshall. Brynn continued playing hockey on one of Appleton's bantam teams and Jim coached her team. Marshall kept up with his school friends as much as possible. Tricia was behind much of the normalcy the family felt over the last year and a half.
This family has not asked for anything - they would never ask for help. They just keep digging in and finding the strength to fight and make it through every obstacle that comes their way. The remaining medical bills for Marshall's treatments will soon overlap with the medical bills for Tricia's treatments.
As Tricia said in Marshall's most recent Caring Bridge entry, "Cancer is a community/club no one wants to ever be part of, but it can create some of the strongest bonds and relationships."
Please help the Patten family if you can.
