Will and Barb – We’ll Continue Your Fight!
New readers to this blog may look at the top of the right sidebar and question, why are there two Lung Cancer organizations posted with requests for donations. The reason is that back in January of this year my son’s brother-in-law Will Marris, lost his battle with lung cancer he was 30 years old.(Here is a report that ABC News report Nadya Han did on lung cancer featuring Will and Nicole) He was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer about 3 years earlier, just before my son Peter and Will’s sister Melissa were married. Oh, by the way Will was a non-smoker! Both of the organizations on the right sidebar are organizations that sponsor runs throughout the US to raise money for lung cancer research. Lung Cancer kills more people than all the other major cancers combined, and yet it is the least funded of all the cancers. I have participated in both runs and expect participating again this year!
The reason that I am posting this today is that through Will and Nicole our family met Barb McKinsey. Barb, like Will, was fighting lung cancer and on Wednesday of this week, Barb lost her battle with the disease. She was 32 years old! Here is her obituary. I really didn’t know her that well, my wife knew her a little better, but we both knew that she was a fighter. She had tried experimental treatments in Boston and when we saw her at Will’s funeral, she appeared to be doing well. The fact that she even came to Will’s funeral told me all I had to know about Barb. Here she was facing the same end result of her battle, as Will, and yet you came out to support and support Will’s wife Nicole and her family!
Our deepest sympathy goes out to Barb’s husband Michael and to both their extended families and to Nicole and the Marris family who are still recovering from the lose of Will. I’m sure that Barb’s passing just brings everything all back to the forefront for the Marris fammily. Let me just close by saying, if you see a run or walk sponsored by one of the organizations listed on the sidebar, take part, for Will, for Barb or any of the many who have suffered and lost their battle with lung cancer!
