Marie’s Story Isn’t Over Yet

When she was 15, Marie’s mom left, leaving her in charge of her five younger siblings. 

Marie dropped out of George Washington Carver High School. She gave her little siblings baths. She sold sex to keep food on the table. When her mom returned six months later, Marie noticed her stomach bulging from pregnancy. Days after the baby boy was born, her mother handed him to Marie and started packing her car. 

“We didn't see her again until he was three,” said Marie, who gave us permission to share her name and story.

A couple of decades later, a 40-year-old Marie arrived at Advance Memphis. Focused on parenting, she had never completed her high school degree or worked a full-time job. 

Unlike many workforce development programs, which mostly upskill high school graduates who already hold jobs, we primarily serve individuals like Marie: men and women who have endured chronic unemployment. 

When Marie started our Work Life job readiness class, she was afraid of her fellow classmates. But the highly relational nature of our program — our calling card — helped her break out of her shell and become more trusting. 

“I really enjoyed making friends in the class and just hearing people’s stories,” Marie said. “Anything (the staff) can do to help you, they are willing to do.” 

Marie went on to graduate from our Faith & Finances class in 2019. In 2020, she landed a stable job at a nursing home, where she worked until last month. And two months ago, she volunteered to be a Faith & Finances Ally, allowing her to mentor a small group of current students.

Then a diagnosis changed her life.

On Sept. 15, Marie learned she had intestinal cancer and lung cancer.

In short order, she endured two procedures — a complete hysterectomy and a surgery to remove a tumor the “size of a small watermelon.” These were followed by a third to address an infection.

After she recovers from these procedures, her doctor wants to start her on chemotherapy. 

Until I learned of her diagnosis, I had been planning to share Marie’s journey with you as a celebration of her success. 

But, like most of our graduates, her story is much more complicated than a Hallmark movie. 

Like any human, our neighbors’ lives rarely progress linearly. We serve our neighbors as they move two steps forward, one step back. We don’t provide services that magically launch people into “the good life." (God doesn’t promise such a life to any of us.) We simply come alongside our neighbors with resources, support, coaching, relationships, and the Gospel.

Please pray with me for Marie. These next few months will be difficult for her. And she and I both know the importance of prayer.