I nominate Marshall S Peck for the keeping the faith award. I have been caring for him since 2001 when his astrocytoma was initially diagnosed. He was only 18 years old at the time. His tumor was found incidently after he was hit in the head while playing basketball. From the first moment I met him, it was clear to me that he was a unique young man. He handled his diagnosis, the subsequent surgery for it and all of his follow up visits and care with a maturity that was well beyond his years. When his tumor progressed in early 2008, he underwent another surgery. The tumor was a higher grade and he then needed to also have radiation and chemotherapy. Throughout all of that and despite another unrelated serious medical issue that arose along the way, Marshall has never faltered in his quiet determination to continue to live his life. He completed college and continued to play basketball and has enjoyed a wonderful career in the sport coaching at both the college and high school levels. He is now assistant athletic director at Fenwick High School where he supports, teaches and counsels young people every day. I have never seen him when he couldn’t muster up a smile. I have never ever heard him complain. He has dealt with his disease with dignity, stoicism, and humor. He was just married to his soul mate, Annie. He is running in the event in Chicago on 10/26 on a team he put together. He has been an inspiration to so many others with brain tumors and has always been an inspiration to me. I think he embodies every quality that the phrase “keeping the faith” is meant to represent.

-Nominated by Dr. Nina A. Paleologos