WE'VE GOT THIS! Fund for Shane
Two months after training and successfully completing his first full Marathon on April 30, 2016, at Champaign, Illinois, my running partner of 10 years, Shane Rowe was diagnosed with Chondrasarcoma, a rare bone cancer.
Shane endured a 5-hour surgery at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri, to remove the tumor that we dubbed "Ted." On August 18, 2016, "Ted" was declared dead and the hole left behind in Shane's spine was replaced by cadaver bone held in place by 8 long screws.
The amazing doctors and caregivers at Barnes were impressed with how someone could train and run a full marathon with a tumor the size of Shane's on his spine. Because of his strength and perseverance, today Shane is healing well from his surgery and gearing up for radiation treatment to take care of any remaining cancer cells that linger in his back to prevent reoccurrence. The intense therapy will be provided at Barnes; 200+ miles from Shane's home. Shane hopes to start his therapy mid October when he will receive treatment 5 days a week for 7 weeks.
Shane is a self-employed entrepreneur operating a custom woodworking shop from his home. Unfortunately, while undergoing surgery, recovery, and the upcoming treatment, Shane's ability to work full-time has been impaired. Despite all of this, his outlook and spirit are bright.
Because so many of Shane's friends have asked how they can help him, Shane has agreed to let me create this GO FUND ME. Contributions will help Shane and his family over this speed bump and help him get his running shoes back on! I'll share his favorite phrase with you: "WE'VE GOT THIS!