This is so sad, seen it so many times. All the best to you.
Dotty,
It’s been said many times here already, but it bears repeating as I believe the more you can hear it the better as you and Marty deserve nothing less than this little piece of support during such a challenging time.
Thank you for updating us all on Marty and let him know more prayers are being sent his and your way. We all miss having Marty on the forum providing his immense model railroading knowledge.
Pete
Marty and Dottie, you both continue to be in my prayers.
shoal creek railroad posted:Hi Marty , here is wishing you a speedy recovery. I am also currently going through chemo. It's been thirty six weeks now . A little over two and and a half years ago I was diognosed with stage four prostate cancer . I did chemo at that time as well . Everyone reacts differently to this treatment , hang in there and above all stay positive and remain as active as you can. Things will get better.
Shoal Creek Railroad, prayers of healing and comfort to you, too.
You and Marty will both be in our prayers, Dottie.
This sounds rough. I almost died of cancer two years ago and am now in remission. Anyone who has had it is my bro for life. I wish you both nothing but the best through these hard times.
You and Marty will both be in my daily and evening prayers, Ms. Dottie.
I think about Marty often. In the early years of my model railroading hobby, Marty was a Toy Train Rock Star! He is iconic indeed. I will keep him in my prayers and pray for a complete and miraculous recovery.
Dottie
I am praying that the Lord continues to guide both you and Marty thru this difficult time
May His Peace continue to be with you both
Al
Prayers and good thoughts for both coming your way..
Marty is as tough as they come and I'm willing to bet Dotty is tougher!! I hope you have the best possible holiday all things considered..
I liken having cancer to the Groucho Marx saying, ‘ I wouldn’t want to be in any club that would have me as a member.’ Nobody wants to be in the club, but once you have cancer you have a lifetime membership. And your dues have been paid. And anyone in the club is my bro. I give anyone who tells me they have had it a hug, without hesitation. I won’t say a prayer lest God smite me down for the sin of being disingenuous, but let my best wishes serve as a heartfelt hug. I sincerely hope things take a turn for the better. I don’t know Marty, but I know he is a legend in the model train universe from this forum. Hang in there bro. Miracles do happen.
Prayers sent for Marty&Family !
William 1 posted:This sounds rough. I almost died of cancer two years ago and am now in remission. Anyone who has had it is my bro for life. I wish you both nothing but the best through these hard times.
Glad to hear you are in remission. a million best wishes John
They don’t come better than Marty. He sent me battery harnesses for some PS1 engines for nothing...not even postage. Wouldn’t take any $$$ even after I insisted.
Men like him are in short supply these days. Willing to share immense knowledge to put the hobby forward.
Get better soon!
Very, very sorry to hear this sad news, I am writing this topic with tears in my eyes, I keep praying for both of you and hoping for healing miracles I know they happen.
Prayers for Marty and Dottie. Never give up.
All my thoughts and prayers to you both. Words are hard to come by in the face of this news but my thoughts are of hope. God bless. BigRail
Dotty reads the O Gauge Forum posts to Marty every day. Let's send him some memories.
Here's one. I've known Marty for about 30 years or so. We've spent a lot of time together at" super gourmet" lunchtime eateries. We often talked about our military experiences. When he reminisced about his training at Great Lakes I said that I remembered a photograph in one of my trolley books showing a North Shore interurban with sailors' heads hanging out the windows. And sure enough, one of them turned out to be Marty.
Lew Schneider
Marty,
You are one of a kind, an asset to the train community, and a good friend. Please keep up the good fight, we need you at Trainstock 2020! You and Dotty are in my thoughts.
Best Regards,
Mat
Me thinks "LewRail"has come up with an EXCELLENT🆒️👍 extension to this thread...everyone should add their memories of Marty Fitzhenry. Heres mine....though short. I've been to two TrainStocks, and both times when i tried to approach Marty, there were already several folks crowding and cutting in ahead of me "jammin'" him with train questions......i never got to chat, but it shows everyone what a popular guy he is! Like the only gal at the Naval Academy dance. But not so pretty....lol!
I've never met Marty in person.. I have followed him on the Forum.. He is a wealth of information and he is always willing to share his knowledge!! Hang in there my friend!!
Dotty, thoughts and prayers for you and Marty.
Its just so sad. Even though I never met him before, Marty made me get inspired with the Santa Fe Blackbonnet and Hi-Level sets in his is massive collection. Prayers for him and his family.
After conversing with Marty on OGR, I finally met him and Dotty in person at my first York a couple years ago. I was late getting to the OGR breakfast, and Marty invited me to sit in the one empty seat next to him. After great conversation at breakfast, I ran into him in the Orange Hall about an hour after opening. He asked me what I had bought, and when all I could show him was a bottle of glue, he told me to get busy and buy a train. LOL. I ran into Dotty 3 or 4 times that day and she always had a nice greeting! Very nice people!!!
I posted this on another thread, but it now seems more appropriate that it is here.
I have kept Marty up to date on your wonderful, heartfelt posts. He is most grateful to be a part of such a close knit, supportive group of like minded train people. Thank you from both of us.
Dotty and Marty, not a day goes by without Vicky and I talking about what you guys are going through. Your in our thoughts always...
Don
Marty with his grandson, Dean.
Update: December 10, 2019.
The doctors have been unable to get the infection in Marty’s toe knocked down. He’s in extreme pain 24/7, even with a cocktail of pain medications. With an infection he can’t have chemo, so the tumors in his lungs are starting to grow again. The tumors in his brain aren’t growing fast, but will eventually cause problems. After talking at length with the teams of doctors and the lack of options, Marty has made the decision to go into hospice care (End of life care). He's tired of fighting, tired of the constant pain. Until the pain can be controlled he will be in a hospice facility near his home, with the hope that he’ll be able to return home with hospice assistance, for his remaining time with us. Thank you all again for your prayers and good wishes. Dotty
Attachments
Images (1)
In my thoughts everyday - I'm at a loss for words.
Dotty, thank you for the update. I know we are all pulling for Marty and hope things will get better soon. My prayers are with you both!
Wishing all the best,
Don
God bless you both!
Will be thinking of you both. I'm glad he has you Dotti. Take care of yourself too.
My prayers for Marty and family. Only know Marty from posts on the forum. But always appreciate his kind comments.
Oh man, this breaks my heart. So sorry to hear this. Don’t know either of you, but I know Marty has a million friends and admirers. Count me in. Not much else I can say. Peace be with you.
DOTTY, MARTY, AND FAMILY
MAY GOD HOLD YOU IN HIS HANDS AND COMFORT YOU IN YOUR TIME OF NEED
Words seem so inadequate at this time but please know my thoughts and prayers are with both of you during this most difficult time and decision.
God bless the two of you and your families.
Prayers for both of you.
Prayers to both of you.
Dotty, I'm so sorry. Please Keep me posted. Ed
I’m still praying for you both!!
Dottie, thinking about you and Marty every day. Stay strong.
John W
Dotty:
Appreciate the update. Carolyn and I continue to pray for both Marty and you in this difficult time. Please let Marty know that our family and all of his many friends and colleagues love him and continue to think about him.
Pat
I’m so sorry. May the hospice workers know exactly how to help.
My thoughts and prayers are with you.
As we go through this life, we do not know how the decisions we make will influence our path or the person we will ultimately become. Marty has obviously made many right decisions during his time on this earth. The evidence of this is how many people's lives he has touched and love he has shown to others. The Good Lord will reward you many times over my friend.
Our continued prayers are with you both. Love and peace.
Very sad news, Lord please, please stop this sacrifice, only a miracle will stop this very painful situation, I will continue praying for both of you.
Let's keep praying for a Christmas miracle!
Thank you, Dotty, for continuing to keep us updated. I’m grateful for having met you and Marty a few years ago when my son and I came to your home to have an engine repaired. We were fortunate enough to experience first hand what wonderful people you are. May God bless you both.
Dotty, thanks for the update. It's heart breaking. I will continue to pray daily for you, Marty and your entire family. I think about you guys everyday when I drive by the East St. Exit off of 128. If you need anything, an errand run, don't hesitate to reach out. Chris A from Middleboro, MA.
My Heart is breaking , I’m at a loss for words. May God watch over and Bless you Marty !
Dotty , thanks for keeping us posted.
Alex
Dotty,
Thank-you for keeping us updated on Marty. Like everyone else, this is not the news I hoped to hear. My hope is that you both are able to take some small comfort in knowing you've both touched many people both near and far and the world is a better place for having the both of you in it. You both are in all of our continued prayers.
-Greg
Heartbreaking news for sure. Marty, you are admired, respected and loved by many. May that help to ease your pain during this difficult time.
John
Myself and Linda think about both of you every day. Thanks for the update dotty.
May God bless both of you and your family
Having seen my father, sister, and cousin cared for by hospices I can testify to the emotions we all feel. On the one hand we hope for miracles and healing. But reality tells us that there comes a time when the doctors can only do so much. The hospice puts everything into perspective. It is a wonderful institution.
Suffering is minimized. Friends and family prepare to say farewell. Regardless of ones religion it is a time for memory and faith.
Lew Schneider
Praying for comfort and peace from our Lord for Marty and his family and friends.
I don't get on much since my accident but was in tears reading this. I met Marty at one of Barry's mth meets years ago. He went out of his way to explain the update procedure and showed me how to perform them on my Remote, TIU and WiFi. As if that wasn't enough he then showed me how to do a backup. Unbelievable. I immediately knew I had a friend. He made me so comfortable and later I sent two engines to him for repair. He is so knowledgeable that it blows me away. I have been praying for a long time for him and you Dotty. May God's will be done in whatever his decision is and may peace and love be with you both. You both will always have friends big and small not only here but in the hereafter. God Bless you both and my prayers will continue!
“The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And grant you peace.”
Truly sad news. May you fiend some rest and escape from the suffering. Dotty may god bless you for all you do for Marty.
So sorry to hear this, my prayers are with you both.
Dave
dottyperry posted:
Marty with his grandson, Dean.
Update: December 10, 2019.
The doctors have been unable to get the infection in Marty’s toe knocked down. He’s in extreme pain 24/7, even with a cocktail of pain medications. With an infection he can’t have chemo, so the tumors in his lungs are starting to grow again.
Dotty
First know that my prayers are with you both..this is terrible news..
Marty and Dotty, wishing you better news. May you have strength, clarity and peace during this emotional time.
Thank you so much Dottie for keeping us all informed, I'm sure it hard for you to even tell us all what's going on with you both !I'll never quit praying for you both to have a God Speed Miracle God only knows Marty deserves a Miracle never met a kinder gentler person In my life that has helped so many to help anyone with anything, he is truly a best friend forever!
Alan Mancus
Dotty.....my prayers and thoughts are with you both.
Peter
RD, the restricted blood flow to the lower leg is one reason the scrape doesn’t heal, depressed immune system during chemo is the other. An amputation would also not heal and would likely be reinfected. Chemo can’t be given for a while before and after surgery, which allows the cancer in other parts of the body to regrow. What to do about this and the original tumor in the leg have been hashed out by us and the teams together (podiatry, vascular, oncology) for months. Hazards outweigh any benefits. We knew from the beginning that all that could be offered was palliative care, and they’ve done a great job. Now he’s tired of fighting.
Our thoughts & prayers are with you both all the time.
I sit here at 5:30 a.m. and think that there are no words that I can add to soften this heartbreaking situation for you both. The words palliative care ring hollow at times like these when pain does not abate.
For some reason I started thinking about the Beatles verse, " Life is very short and there is no time for fussing or fighting, my friend . . . ".
Marty and you are now faced with decisions that no one should have to make. Whatever decision you make, it will be the right one.
May you be granted the unbelievable strength you need in these very trying times.
I hope that you hear the support you and Marty have with people he has found through this hobby and some, like me, he never met.
Manny
Our continuing prayers are with Marty, and with you as well, Dotty. May God's blessings be with you both in this difficult time, and always.
We are thinking about you both and praying hard for your comfort at this extremely difficult time.
Dotty, you well know that Sue's and my thoughts are with you and Marty, and we can only hope for the very best.
Gerry
So sorry things have taken a bad turn, our prayers are with you,may God bless and keep you both, Phil and Sandy
So very sorry to hear this news. I was hoping and praying for a recovery for Marty. God bless you Dotty and everyone else who is doing all they can for Marty.
May God look after Marty. God bless Dotty; she is Marty's angel.
Stu
May God grant you all the peace and solace you need at this time.
Of course not the news we were wishing to hear Dotty. As the others have mentioned, we are thinking of you both.
This has been so sad to hear. Marty was such a great ambassador, friend, and help. Dottie and Marty were the primary reason I enjoyed going to York. Marty will be missed so much. G
Dottie,
I am at a loss of words to express my thanks to you and Marty for being my train friends, football foes and such nice folks to know and cross paths. Marty is truly a ambassador to this hobby and am sorry to hear the awful news you have been updating us with.
I will always cherish this picture. 
Attachments
Images (1)
Any of us who have dealt with this particular heartbreaking situation , very deeply and profoundly share your pain and helplessness.
When my dad made this same choice, his faith in God gave my mother and me the courage and solace to carry on.
God's speed to you, Marty and Dotty.
I am very saddened to hear the news about Marty.Like everyone on this board,I will always cherish the times I got to interact with him at the York shows and Trainstock meets.Marty is a wonderful person and I will be praying for you and him at this time.
Words fail me, so I will borrow some written by a fellow named David a long time ago:
Psalm 121
121 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
2 My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.
3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.
6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
8 The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.
Amen, and I say again: Amen.
I think I met Marty once or twice at York dcs meetings. He was very kind and light hearted in his interactions, including with me as apparently I was a bit late to have a dcs update performed. Through all the interactions on the forum he is a very kind and knowledgeable man. I am sorry to hear this news and will send some extra prayers up tonight for Marty. God Bless you both.
DOTTY and MARTY, prayer train is running for both of you. You are both in my thoughts.
Myself being from the Boston area Marty & Dotty have always taken the time to attend and say hello at every local train event. That goes double helping others out in the hobby.
A true friend to all of us in this hobby.
My heart and prayers go out to both of you during this difficult time.
Words escape me, wish there was some miracle out there that could happen. 
Continued prayers for Marty and Dottie. My best memory was when Alex presented Marty with a model of his home at Alex and Dina's summer get together. Marty was absolutely overwhelmed and so appreciative. Great guy, and I am prayerful that he will pull through.
I loved that model house, what a great gift! Lots of good memories, and I hope we have the opportunity to have lots more.
Marty and Dotty, we have never met in person, but only through the Forum. You have been in everyone's thoughts and I pray God keeps watch over you gives you comfort and peace.
John
I have never met either of you but marty helped me once with a train issue I will never forget his kindness helping me. I hope that you both find strength in each other in the coming days ahead and know you both are in my thoughts and prayers.
Been praying for Marty every day. Have courage Marty & Dotty. We're all pulling for you both.
Prayers are up for both of you. I pray that God lays His healing hands on your bodies and minds to comfort you. I am a victorious, 5 yrs. post cancer and my wife and I understand the stressors which accompanied this insidious disease. Again my family remains vigilant in our prayers for healing and recovery
"Eye has not seen, nor has ear heard, nor has entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those who love Him." Paul A.D. 55
Dotty,
Grace and peace to you.
You've made the best decisions possible under these terrible circumstances. No one could have been more caring or a better health care advocate. We all thank God for your Marty, he has been blessed in so many ways and has blessed us, too.
Prayers ascend for comfort. The Great Physician will cure all ills and wipe away all tears.
I count myself very lucky that I met Marty once (at York a few years back), did some business with him and benefitted from his advice posted here over several years. God bless and keep him and his family.
Here's the video of Marty getting his "new house."
...no words seem appropriate....
I have and will continue to remain close to you Marty and Dotty. My heart and soul is with you both.........
I wish there was something I could do..
Love to you both....
Rich Melvin posted:Here's the video of Marty getting his "new house."
A special moment and a special guy!!👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
dk122trains posted:Rich Melvin posted:Here's the video of Marty getting his "new house."
A special moment and a special guy!!👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Yes, his reaction was priceless when Alex gave him that!
-Greg
Hello Marty & Dottie....as "Laz1957 so astutely put it....there is a L O N G prayer train with all of us Forumites on it trying to help. I am pretty much at a loss for words....but your legacy among us Forumites speaks volumes.....BLESS BOTH OF YOU!
Oh Dottie - my heart aches for you and my head prays for God to keep Marty in comfort and his warm embrace. Our three rail family is saddened beyond words, please Dottie don't forget to take care of yourself.
Paul & MJ
