TOM BEAN, Texas (KTEN) -- Aaron Marshall has had his seat on the bus for about the past five years, but now cancer is keeping him off his route.

"He drives the bus, course he's maintenance," said Tom Bean ISD's Superintendent, Kelly Lusk. "He's here on Friday nights working, the guy lives his faith is the bottom line, he brings it to school."

The superintendent says Marshall's love for the kids and people really shows.

"He misses the school, he misses the kids, he misses the teachers and the staff that he works with," said Lusk. "So he's itching to get back."

It was a sudden moment, something that was just an annual checkup.
However, after a visit to another doctor things took a quick downhill turn. A rare cancer was discovered around his ear.

"Went through the surgery to remove his left ear," said Tom Bean Volunteer Fire Chief Jason Lankford. "And all the lymph nodes and all that stuff on that side. And, we've uh, trying to show our love to him as he's done for the community."

Marshall has been working 9 years with the volunteer fire department, about five of those as the assistant chief.
And that's not all he's done for the city.

"Coaching little league, fire department," said Lankford. "And he's also done work with the city as far as planning and zoning."

And now the city is starting to come together to help him in turn.
(lankford)
"The support that they've shown him, people contacting him, providing his family with meals."

In addition a Go-Fund-me has been set up and Texas Hand Made Pie's is doing a Pies for a Purpose Fundraiser, every pie sold gives a portion of the sale to Marshall.

And things are going decently for Marshall post surgery, he visited the school Wednesday.

"Confident that they got everything through the surgery," said Lankford. "And if all goes well all he'll have to do is radiation."