American pro Amy Marsh diagnosed with Leukemia

Four-time Ironman winner and 2010 USAT Long Distance Triathlete of the Year Amy Marsh has been diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). Marsh’s husband and fellow pro triathlete Brandon announced the news in a heartfelt blog post on the couples website yesterday. In the post,“Life Gave Us a Lemon” Marsh wrote,

“On Tuesday, 23 December 2014, Amy was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)…The Dr. is optimistic that Amy will respond well to the treatment though it is still very early. Positive vibes, thoughts, prayers, etc. are welcomed.”

In advance of heading to train at altitude the couple sought blood work and felt that “something was definitely off” with Amy. The cancer was discovered after a hematology appointment and subsequent bone marrow biopsy .

In his post, Marsh writes, “There has been a whirlwind of information. At this time AML is kind of a ‘shit happens’ or ‘bad luck’ diagnosis. There isn’t really a single cause to put your finger on. It is a cancer of the bone marrow and blood cells. Because it is ‘acute’ as opposed to ‘chronic’ it moves quickly and as such, we needed to as well. Amy is currently at Seton in Austin and has about to finish her 4th of 7 days of chemo.”

Our thoughts are with the couple. Follow updates on the Marshs’ website Team-marsh.com.