New Braunfels widow fights toughest battle

Community rallies around Marsha Mudge as she gets ready for first chemo treatment

SAN ANTONIO – It's a story of true grit and a will to survive. A New Braunfels woman who just lost her husband now faces a life-threatening obstacle of her own, and her community is backing her up in full-force.

Last year, Marsha Mudge's world shattered when she lost her husband.

"John was a football coach at New Braunfels High School. He had a stroke in 2013. He recovered from that, got back on the field, and I found him passed away in his sleep on March 21, 2014," she said.

Then, just last week, the 36-year-old single mother of two young boys was thrown yet another curve ball.

"I got a diagnosis of stage 4 T3 breast cancer. It's metastasized in my skull, two areas in my sacrum, one area in my C-spine, one area on my liver, my lymph node, and my left breast," she explained.

The diagnosis was shocking, and raised a lot of questions, but she's staying positive. She knows she has a long battle ahead.

"I can do it. I just don't understand why my kids have to go through it. That's the hardest thing," Mudge said.

With unimaginable strength, she's ready to fight.

"I start chemo tomorrow and I'm really nervous," she said with a smile.

Thankfully, she's not alone.

"I work at Carl Schurz Elementary School in New Braunfels and those parents those kids, every day, their smiles their hugs. They keep me going," Mudge said.

Now, the same community that held her up when she lost her husband is supporting her once again, staying "Mudge Strong."

"She's amazing. We all just want to help in any way we can," said Shelley Minus, who has two kids at the school where Mudge is a nurse.

Minus helped start an impressive fundraising effort.

"We started the Go Fund Me account a week ago Monday, and it's already almost at $45,000," Minus said.

It's a number that amazes and overwhelms Mudge.

"I want to give back. I just want to give it all back to everybody and I don't know how. The only way I can do it is tell my story and teach someone, inspire someone, and let someone know not to give up," she said.

 


About the Author:

Courtney Friedman anchors KSAT’s weekend evening shows and reports during the week. Her ongoing Loving in Fear series confronts Bexar County’s domestic violence epidemic. She joined KSAT in 2014 and is proud to call the SA and South Texas community home. She came to San Antonio from KYTX CBS 19 in Tyler, where she also anchored & reported.