Community surprises local cancer survivor who uplifted healthcare workers

JACKSON, Tenn. — One local man was greeted in a special way by those he impacted.

“It got to the point we loved seeing him, he always had a great smile on his face,” said registered nurse Karen Amos. “And when you’re dreading coming to work or you’re tired leaving, and it has been a long night and you see his smiling face and waving as you’re leaving or coming in, it put a smile on my face.”

At the beginning of the pandemic, Mark Steiner held up encouraging signs outside Jackson-Madison County General Hospital for healthcare workers for several months.

Photo: 2020

He was diagnosed with cancer at the end of last year, and those who he impacted wanted to surprise him.

“When he got sick and was such a kind and encouraging person, I felt like we needed to turn the tables on Mark and kind of give that encouragement back,” said friend Diana Taylor.

This is Steiner’s last full week of chemotherapy, and his friends wanted to be there for him.

“We kind of knew from Mark that he was really, really super dreading this last week,” said friend Charles Taylor. “It has been real rough on him, and so we wanted to give him all the encouragement we could to push him through this last week and get this thing done.”

Some nurses say they are thankful for his kind gesture.

“We appreciate so much the bright spot you brought to us during the dark days when COVID started,” said registered nurse Jill Black.

Steiner’s friends say the chemotherapy has been able to shrink his tumor, and after this week’s session he will have just a few more days left of it.

For more news out of Madison County, click here.