On the surface, everything was going right.
Chief Marc Vermont had built a life many would admire, years into a respected career as a firefighter-paramedic, a growing family, investments taking shape, and a future that seemed firmly in his control. Alongside him, Sam Tejada, CEO and Founder of Liquivida®, sat down with him on “A Healthy Point of View” podcast to unpack a story that would ultimately challenge everything Marc thought he knew about life.
Because sometimes, life doesn’t gradually shift; it flips in an instant.
The Childhood Cancer Story Every Parent Needs To Hear | Marc Vermont | Ep. 125
A Life Built on Service
Marc’s journey into emergency medicine didn’t begin in a classroom; it began on the street.
At just 16 years old, he witnessed a man get struck by a car. Standing there, unsure of what to do, he improvised with what little knowledge he had, holding a piece of glass near the man’s mouth to check for breath, something he had only seen in movies.
That moment stayed with him.
It wasn’t fear that defined it; it was helplessness. And from that helplessness came clarity. He decided he would never feel that unprepared again.
That decision led him into emergency medicine, then into firefighting, and eventually into a career spanning decades, one built on helping others during their worst moments.
What he couldn’t have known then was that one day, he would be the one in need of saving.
The Moment Everything Changed
In 2005, life was moving fast, in all the right ways.
Marc and his wife had a healthy two-year-old daughter, Kendra. They were expecting another child. Career opportunities were lining up. They had just invested in property. It was the kind of momentum people spend years chasing.
To celebrate, they took a trip, an Alaskan cruise.
But when they returned, something felt off.
Kendra had been waking up screaming in the mornings. She was vomiting. She struggled to keep her balance while walking.
At first, it didn’t seem catastrophic. A doctor suggested it might be vertigo.
But Marc trusted his instincts and his experience.
He started researching.
What he found was terrifying: the symptoms pointed toward a brain tumor.
A Diagnosis No Parent Is Prepared For
At Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, a CT scan confirmed their worst fear. Kendra had a tumor in her brain.
Within hours, everything changed. There was no time for second opinions. No time to process. Surgery was scheduled for the next morning.
One moment, they were planning their future.
Next, they were preparing for their child to undergo brain surgery.
That emotional whiplash is something Marc describes as a “sledgehammer”, a force that doesn’t just hurt, but completely disorients.
The Emotional Reality No One Talks About
What followed wasn’t just medical, it was deeply emotional.
Marc and his wife went through something that closely resembled the stages of grief:
- Shock
- Anger
- Guilt
- Fear
- Desperation
- Acceptance
But unlike grief after loss, this was grief while still fighting.
There’s a unique kind of pain in watching your child suffer while still holding onto hope.
Marc recalls questioning everything, including faith.
As someone who believed in a higher power but not organized religion, he found himself doing something he rarely did: praying every night.
Not for himself. Not for anything material.
Just for his daughter’s life.
The Fight Becomes Bigger
After surgery, the diagnosis became clearer and more serious.
Kendra had a malignant brain tumor called medulloblastoma. Even worse, cancer cells had spread into her spinal fluid.
Standard treatment wouldn’t be enough.
That’s when Marc did what he had always done best: he took action.
Through relentless research, he found a clinical trial at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, one of only a few places in the world offering advanced treatment for her condition.
Within days, the family relocated to Memphis.
What followed was 11 months of intense treatment.
And a reality most people never see.
The Hidden Cost of Survival
Cancer doesn’t just attack the body; it attacks every part of life.
While Kendra fought physically, Marc and his wife faced another battle:
- Loss of income
- Career uncertainty
- Medical stress
- A pregnancy is happening at the same time
- Living in a different state
- Emotional exhaustion
And yet, in the middle of all that chaos, something powerful emerged.
Support.
The Power of Community
Marc experienced something many families never do: a true support system.
His fellow firefighters covered his shifts for nearly a year so he could stay with his daughter. They repaired his home after a hurricane. They showed up without being asked.
In Memphis, the support extended beyond the hospital.
Strangers paid for meals. Attractions opened their doors for free. Mechanics fixed his car without charging him a dollar.
No recognition. No expectations.
Just kindness.
It was in these moments that Marc saw something bigger than his own pain; he saw what humanity looks like at its best.
Loss and a New Purpose
Despite the fight, despite the treatment, despite the hope, Kendra passed away in May 2007.
She was just four years old.
Two days after her younger sister’s first birthday. The loss was unimaginable.
But what came next was not withdrawal; it was action.
Marc and his wife made a decision: they would not let Kendra’s story end with loss.
They would turn it into impact.
Turning Pain Into Purpose
Instead of building a large foundation focused only on research, they chose a different path.
They created a nonprofit designed to help families directly.
Because they had lived it, they knew the real struggle wasn’t just medical.
It was financial. Emotional. Logistical.
Families needed help paying mortgages. Covering bills. Staying afloat while fighting for their child’s life.
So they built a system that worked through hospital social workers to ensure support reached real families in real need.
It wasn’t about headlines.
It was about helping quietly, just like those who had helped them.
A Story That Stays With You
Marc Vermont’s story is not just about tragedy.
It’s about:
- How quickly life can change
- How fragile control really is
- How strength is built in the hardest moments
- And how kindness can ripple far beyond a single act
Most importantly, it’s a reminder that even in the darkest chapters, something meaningful can still be created.
Not because the pain disappears.
But because someone chooses to do something with it.