Marcus Taylor Day has had a life filled with tragedy and heartache, and he's now fighting for his own life.
The 23-year-old father of three was diagnosed with stomach cancer in May, just days shy of the birth of his daughter Aurora-Leigh.
His tough times started as a toddler when his mother died, a victim of domestic violence. A few years later his little brother Ryan was tragically killed in a car accident. Without their parents, the surviving three siblings pushed on until their sister Horowai was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 2015. Her cancer was so aggressive she died three months later, leaving brothers Marcus and Hamiora devastated.
"It took Horowai my sister out pretty quick," Marcus told The Hui. "She was gone within three months of hers. She's the one that deserves to live she had such a good life. I didn't want to see another important woman in my life go, it was really hard."
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After Marcus was diagnosed with the same cancer as his sister Horowai, his brother Hamiora started showing similar signs. Marcus pushed the doctors to test for cancer given the family history, and one month after Marcus was diagnosed, Hamiora was told he had lymphoma cancer. Now, these two brothers are literally on this cancer journey together.
"We've bonded so much more as brothers from this, it's really great. We had a fight not long before all of this and we weren't talking. And then all of a sudden, this is what's kind of brought back that bond of brotherhood."
Earlier this month Marcus had his stomach removed. Since diagnosis he's lost 40kg and is adjusting to life without a stomach. His prognosis is good, with a few more rounds of chemotherapy to go.
Despite all the tragedy in his life, those experiences have given Marcus the resolve to fight his latest battle.
"I'm feeling recharged and I'm up and about doing my thing. So, I'm feeling ready to rock and roll. Nothing gonna bring me down!"
The Hui
