Marsha’s “𝒮𝓉𝑜𝓇𝓎”.

“Fire is the test of gold; adversity, of strong men.” - Seneca

Adversity looks different for each and every, single one of us. It comes in many shapes, forms and sizes. Adversity to Marsha Haddox, our next Guiding Light recipient, began with some irritating symptoms in December 2023. Not thinking much of it at the time, she passed it off as an annoyance and continued on. As the months went on, the irritation turned into unbearable pain that she could no longer push through, finally landing her in the Emergency Room in August 2024. Scans quickly escalated to biopsies, revealing a diagnosis: Squamous cell carcinoma of the anal canal Reading the results in an online MyChart on a Saturday and having to wait until the following week to hear the results being reaffirmed is the most gut wrenching and painstakingly endless time. It creates the feeling as though you are tiptoeing through a long, dark and never ending tunnel, not knowing if you will ever see the light.

Marsha has always been an active person that loves the outdoors. Outside of work, she would spend her time camping, riding her horses and enjoying her children and grandsons. She also enjoys her time with her Christian based equine group, Riding in Faith. For all of their fundraising events, Marsha was always hard at work planning and helping to keep the shows running smoothly. The past year has been a challenge, forcing her to slow down and miss out on the things she loves.

Finally, being given a diagnosis has brought a definite fear, but also a hopeful end to the pain she has been enduring for so long. She will undergo chemo and radiation with hope that the treatments will help to eradicate the tumor, keeping surgery as a last resort due to the location. Through all of this, Marsha remains strong, she remains positive and she remains thankful. We can choose how to navigate through the adversity we face and Marsha has chosen her path. She will continue to fight and look forward to the day she can get back in the saddle.