Shortly after turning 14yrs old in April 2021, Marty was diagnosed with Stage IV Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma, a cancer that originated in the nasopharynx. To this day Marty has had 24 cycles of chemotherapy, 23 cycles of immunotherapy, and 34 rounds of face&neck radiation. Due to the side effects of face/neck radiation like severe dry mouth and fibrosis of his neck muscles, Marty is dependent on G-Tube feeding. Without chemotherapy consistently running through his blood, the virus that is associated with his cancer seems to find its way back. Marty is now a participant in a clinical trial out of state.

Marty is your average 16yr old that dreams of going to college, having a girlfriend, and one day getting married and starting a family of his own. Since he started treatments, his only complaint is that he is so sad that he is unable to enjoy food anymore