True Strength

Moore Teacher’s Cancer Fight Inspires Others

As you might imagine, it’s difficult to learn that you have cancer, let alone to experience that moment more than once. But for Emily Marshall, a first-grade teacher at Moore’s Central Elementary, that experience is one she is all too familiar with.

“The first time I was super terrified,” Marshall said. “You hear the words breast cancer and you think, ‘I’m gonna die.’”

But Marshall didn’t let herself think that way for long.

Marshall was first diagnosed in 2008 at the age of 33. She is now in the midst of her eighth battle with triple negative breast cancer, which she explained is particularly aggressive and difficult to treat.

Marshall tested negative for the BRCA gene, making her initial diagnosis at such a young age even more puzzling.

“Nobody in my family has ever had cancer except myself,” Marshall said. “(The doctors) can’t figure out what’s going on.”

Marshall underwent chemotherapy and radiation therapy, as well as a lumpectomy, but in 2012, the cancer returned.

“At that time, I had a double mastectomy,” Marshall said. “I did chemo, but not radiation. In 2013, I had my reconstruction, and then I had another recurrence in 2015. I asked my oncologist, how in the world do you get breast cancer when you don’t have breasts!”

Marshall’s cancer had returned and was growing from the chest wall, through stomach tissue that had been used to rebuild the breast. This time around they tried a left mastectomy along with radiation.

When cancer hit Marshall in 2016 for the fourth time, she moved her treatment to the Integris Cancer Institute.

Since that time, she’s had two recurrences in 2017, one in 2018 and now, the eighth in total. This time is different — the cancer has made its way to the lymph nodes, which causes concern that it might also appear in other areas of Marshall’s body.

sible course of treatment for her, she is currently being treated with chemo pills and that they are allowing her to go on living her life during treatment.

“I’ve been able to stay in the classroom with my kiddos, which is another prayer answered,” Marshall said.

Sadly, yet not uncommon, Marshall’s health isn’t the only challenge on the Marshall family’s plate. The family is also facing financial troubles due to Marshall’s healthcare costs. In fact, the medical bills have piled so high that the family is in danger of losing their house, which they’ve owned and lived in for 18 years, Marshall said.

Parents and school staff have pitched in, raising money here and there, where they can. They’ve hosted numerous events and fundraisers with community partners to help raise money for the family. One parent even went so far as to start a GoFundMe account to help cover healthcare costs. “They really have been supportive through this. My boss has been phenomenal,” Marshall said. “Moore Public Schools is a wonderful place to be. Very family oriented, and they take care of you.”

Marshall’s story made national news early this year when an ABC News team caught her reaction as she walked into a surprise school assembly, held in her honor. The event featured Marshall’s first graders serenading her with their rendition of Fight Song.

And while the experience and response has been overwhelming, the thing that Marshall said she’s most happy about is that her story may be able to help others.

“I’m glad they’re getting the story out there,” Marshall said. “It’s exciting for me because I feel like it’s going to help other people. Hopefully, they can see my story, and it’ll help them get through it.”– 19SM

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Westmoore Girls Soccer Team Building on Success

The Westmoore girls soccer team hopes to build on last year’s outstanding season and get closer to a possible state championship with a solid group returning from a team that went 14-2-1 last year.

The Lady Jags had a great season last year, losing only to the eventual state champion Norman North girls in the quarterfinals 1-0 and to Jenks, a team that made it all the way to the semi-finals also by a score of 1-0.

Head coach Robert Williams returns for his 13th season as the coach for the Lady Jags.

“Some of the keys for this year’s team is we’ve got a lot of experienced, good players coming back,” Williams said.

“Kylie Munson signed to play at Oklahoma State. She’ll be at the center back position this year. She’s a great defender and is a leader on a defense that gave up only eight goals all of last year and can put it away on some of the free-kick opportunities.”

Williams also talked about some of the other girls he’s counting on to be leaders on this year’s team.

“Jocelyn Glitzke is going to be a senior for us. She missed her freshman year after an injury and has gotten better each year since her return. She’s a girl that can control the center-mid and will be an important piece in controlling the midfield for us and setting up scoring opportunities,” Williams said.

healthy at the end of last year. The team will count on her to be a major contributor this year after scoring eight goals to lead the team from the striker position. Another player to watch will be junior Jadynn Daggs, who added another seven goals from the striker position.

The keeper position should be a battle as senior Mya Szymanski, who allowed only eight goals in 17 games, returns as well as Hannah Tillison, who was the starting keeper two years ago but missed last year due to injury.

Maddison Hays will be a key piece for the Westmoore defense, but she won’t join the team until the end of basketball season. She’s a starter on the Lady Jags basketball team.

Look for senior Channing Jones to return to the team after playing last year in the developmental league. Jones was a starter her freshman and sophomore year and will play at the striker or right back position

The girls will go to Tulsa University for a pre-season camp and to Bishop Kelly for one of the big tournaments of the year.

“We aren’t as deep as we were last year,” Williams said, “but we’ll be pretty solid in our 14-15 deep.”

“We’ll have to be more consistent on the scoring end,” he said. “We have a very stingy defense, but we need to put more shots in the back of the net to be an elite team.” – 19SM