CONTACT US
In January 2024, Madison Marsh became Miss America. Every time she puts on that storied crown, she carries the spirit of her mom, Whitney, with her.
“To my momma – this whole year is for you,” Madison said shortly after she won the title. “If you were in the audience last night, I know you would have been my first hug. The world is about to know your story, light and love.”
Whitney died from pancreatic cancer in 2018, when Madison was just 17 years old. Now, as Miss America, Madison has dedicated her time in the spotlight to honoring her mom and raising awareness about pancreatic cancer, both through the founding of the Whitney Marsh Foundation and through supporting PanCAN initiatives.
As one of the featured speakers at PanCAN PurpleStride New York City in April, Madison told the crowd that even though her mom’s death “rocked my family’s world,” she’s found comfort through the PanCAN community. It’s also spurred her to action – to use her platform to raise awareness, raise funds and advocate for more federal research funding for the disease.
“We show up as a family here today, all unified by the same cause, all unified by the same purpose, to make a difference for pancreatic cancer,” Madison said at PanCAN PurpleStride New York City. “And that’s what all of this is about. That’s why I love PanCAN. Because we have the opportunity to make change even when things are tough.”
A Platform to Spread Awareness
To Madison, her mom was everything a child could hope for: Loving, uplifting, kind. She was also active and athletic, so a pancreatic cancer diagnosis was something her family was wholly unprepared for.
“We didn’t have any cancer history in our family,” Madison said. “She didn’t have any of the risk factors, so it was a shock. When you look up pancreatic cancer, it’s not that age group.”
Madison has said that her mom experienced symptoms at least two years before her diagnosis – but that they were misdiagnosed. Unfortunately, this happens far too often when it comes to pancreatic cancer, since common symptoms like unexplained weight loss, back pain and changes in stool could be attributed to any number of other issues.
Now, Madison is using her platform to spread the word about the signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer, urging both awareness and self-advocacy.
“Take your health seriously,” she said during an interview for an NBC News affiliate in April alongside PanCAN President and CEO Julie Fleshman, JD, MBA. “You know your body best. When you go to the doctor and you know something’s wrong, advocate for yourself. Go get a second opinion.”
She’s also advocating for more research funding for the disease. This month, she’s planning a trip to Capitol Hill to make that case, alongside PanCAN representatives. Getting in touch with elected leaders – that kind of grassroots advocacy -- is what anyone touched by pancreatic cancer can do to make a difference, she said.
“Everything that we do in the pancreatic cancer space matters,” Madison said. “Every time you show up to a walk, you donate, you share something from PanCAN about pancreatic cancer, that is making a difference and could save a life. It is the small things that are going to have this giant ripple effect to save people.”
Miss America on a Mission
Madison came to the Miss America pageant while a student in the U.S. Air Force Academy. She’s the first active-duty military officer to serve in the role.
“I had dreams of becoming an astronaut, so that’s what led me to go to the Air Force Academy,” she said. “I started that dream back when I was in the eighth grade. I made this basically 30-year plan of how I was going to become an astronaut.”
Miss America 2024 Madison Marsh on stage with pancreatic cancer survivors at PurpleStride New York City.
After graduating in 2023 with a degree in physics, she decided to defer her pilot’s training to pursue a master’s degree in public policy from the Harvard Kennedy School. She’s also been involved with research at Harvard Medical School that is exploring how to apply artificial intelligence to the early detection of pancreatic cancer.
The roles complement each other – she can use her Miss America platform to push for policy change, while her role as a research intern helps her explain exactly what needs to happen and why.
Madison sees her work as both a leader and a change agent, all made possible by that life-changing moment when she was given the Miss America crown. And it’s only the beginning. The connections she’s made with other families affected by the disease will last a lifetime.
“I’m blessed to be a part of this community,” she said. “Even though my mom isn’t here, I get to have a second family at PanCAN. I get to have a second family anytime I meet people that went through what we did.”
It’s this groundswell of survivors, caregivers and loved ones who are responsible for the progress we’ve seen, Madison said, from 25 years ago when pancreatic cancer saw very little attention or research funding to now, with PanCAN leading the way.
And we can only keep that momentum with everyone in the fight.
“I want people to feel welcome and to feel involved,” she said. “Know that you are part of the mission. You are part of the family. Every single small act that you do goes the distance.”
