It was 14 months ago when I first shared with you the story of Sean Martyn, who was fighting a rare form of pediatric cancer which was discovered following a high school football game he played for the Brick Township Green Dragons. 

Sean Martyn
Sean Martyn (Sean Martyn Fund)
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Sean’s courageous and inspiring battle has come to an end as he passed away peacefully yesterday at the age of 19.

For those who don’t remember it was the fall of 2010 when a couple of days after playing in a game Sean began experiencing headaches.  At first doctors thought the then 17 year old had broken a bone near his eye socket which while no small matter did not appear to be anything especially worrisome.  However tests later revealed that indeed the Martyn family had a major concern in the form of Rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare pediatric cancer that results in only several hundred new cases each year.

Sean then began what turned out to be two plus years of fighting through chemo, radiation, surgeries and more highs and lows then any young person should ever deal with.  In his corner were his parents Joyce and Jim, brother Jimbo and sister Kelly who certainly let Sean know that it was a family fight and he was not alone.

Sean Martyn with Karl Nelson from the Giants
Sean Martyn with Karl Nelson from the Giants (Martyn Family)
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When I first told the story the focus was on the support the Martyns’ were receiving and how so many had rallied in their corner.  There were green bracelets sold and local fundraisers to help the family with the incredible financial burden they were dealing with in addition to Sean’s medical plight.  Friends and classmates as well as the staff at Brick High School did their part as did the community, who rallied around a young man determined to win his personal battle.

However as so often is the case while Sean would win some battles in the end cancer claimed the war.  Certainly one of the highlights for the family was brother Jimbo and his wife Jill giving birth to son Logan who when he gets older will learn that is uncle wore #75 proudly for the Green Dragons and while leaving the world way too soon made an impact.

Services for Sean Martyn are scheduled for Saturday from 3-6pm at Silverton Memorial Funeral Home on Church Road in Toms River with a memorial at 5:30.

The family has asked that in lieu of flowers donations be made in Sean’s name to either Ocean of Love or Embrace Kids Foundation.

 

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