They gave me six months to live, and I gave 'em three and a half years of living. Marley Jacob Pratt (1985-2003) This story is not just about a young cowboy who contracted terminal lung cancer at the age of 15.
It is not just about his family.
It is about a network of people who changed the life and death of a boy, and who were courageous enough to be changed by him.
This story is never ending, because the ripple effect of our love is now the history from which we build our futures.
When Marley Jacob Pratt was fifteen years old, he was told he was one of the youngest on record to have squamous lung cancer, and that it would likely kill him before he turned 16. Like most teenagers, he figured the authorities did not know what they were talking about. It was up to him to prove them wrong by packing in as much living as possible.
Even if Marley had been a normal teenager, this story would be an adventure, but he wasn't. Marley looked at life upside down, thus everyone he came in contact with was touched by his viewpoint. Marley didn't care about other people's opinions. To him, being self-conscious was a waste of valuable time. His priority was to build a large community so he could have tremendous amounts of fun. To him, loving unconditionally, laughing too loud, and riding fast and hard was the key to living free.
During a three and a half year battle with cancer, Marley survived two rounds of chemotherapy, thirteen rounds of radiation, and six major surgeries which included the removal of a lung and a total knee replacement. The cancer attacked his respiratory system, lymphatic system, endocrine system, and skeletal system. And yet, this kid went to school, worked for the fire department, worked on the family ranch, spending his free time riding on his horse, his Kawasaki Mule, or his ATV. He never stopped having fun or stirring up the dust on the country roads he lived on.
Narrated by his mother, Marley Rides also contains the e-mails sent to the ever-growing number of people who became a part of Marley's support network. These letters began as a way to inform Marley's family and friends of medical updates, but the list quickly grew to include hundreds more. Marley's Network formed to help a unique and deserving young man, and yet the energy created impacted the network two-fold.
Marley Rides is an uplifting story about tragic loss. The story is about how networking with community fosters courage, combines skills, and builds strength. It's about how to deal with medical professionals, Hospice, and caring for the dead at home. This story focuses on how Marley and his family learned to ride the waves of life and death. But in truth, this story is about all of us. Every one of us will encounter sickness and death, and will have to choose how to handle adversity. Marley's story is an example of what can happen when people join forces.
The unusual format of Marley Rides includes over 100 photographs and quotes, and is designed to make readers of all ages and backgrounds feel the intensity of the joy and pain life offers us all. The style of this book helps the reader feel like a part of the family, and that is exactly what happens. Marley is gone, but Marley's Network lives on.
Jennifer Hart lives in the woods outside of Ashland, Oregon doing her best to stay fully alive while listening to the voices of Those Who Have Gone Before, or her Intuition. After experiencing the deaths of her brother-in-law, Steven Foster and her son, Marley Pratt just weeks apart, Jennifer has spent her time delving into the meaning of life and death, writing from her heart, supporting her daughter's dreams, and living a life full of laughter and tears. Her calling is to help her international family rediscover the art of supportive networking, the deep communal feelings and inherent sacredness of joy and loss, and the care for the dying which incorporates the wisdom of the old ways.
