Shawnee's "new wheels"

Since 2003, Shawn has been dealing with what doctors call histiocytoma. It is a tumor of the soft tissue, generally benign. She has had four surgeries on her upper right arm to remove the tumors from 2003 to 2008, all of which caused the tumors to regrow and spread. In 2008, she went to the Cleveland Clinic, hoping that they could do a 5th surgery and get all of the tumors and keep it from regrowth. Unfortunately, after a chest x-ray, they discovered that the tumors in her arm had metastasized to her lungs. What we had been told was benign for 5 years had now made it to her lungs and was malignant. Since that trip to Ohio, Shawn has been to UCLA, twice to MD Anderson in Houston, and has had biopsies sent all over the United States to find someone who has dealt with a case like hers and knows what to do for her. They have found NO case ever like hers in the books. Hence, they have no clue how to fight this disease. Since January of 2009, Shawn has been on constant chemotherapy, eleven kinds total. Only two showed promise. The first caused her Steven's Johnson syndrome, and had to be stopped immediately to save her life. Through all of her treatments, Shawn has felt unbelievably strong, until the last chemo. She began Sutent in June of 2014. Immediately the tumors that are open on her upper right arm started to shrink and break up. The tumors that she can feel under the skin were liquefying and shrinking also. We were overjoyed. Then the shortness of breath set in. After the first four week round, she had severe shortness of breath. It lasted for a couple of weeks, and then from morning to afternoon one day, it mysteriously disappeared and she felt fine. After the two week break, she started round two of Sutent, and immediately, again, the shortness of breath began and got more severe as she progressed through the cycle. After the cycle finished, she continued to go down hill, and eventually ended up in the hospital in Lincoln with an O2 sat of 70% on room air. She was there for a week on high steroid treatment, and improved enough to come home. However, the shortness of breath has persisted and Shawn is on Oxygen 24/7. She can barely walk to the bathroom, even with the aid of oxygen. She continues on the steroids at high doses, and we are hoping for a miracle. Her lung x-rays look cloudy throughout, and doctors do not know if her lungs are full of inflammation from the chemo, if tumors have exploded and filled her lungs, or if the old existing tumors have sloughed off into her lungs and are impairing her breathing. Chemo has stopped, and she has continued the steroids, and we are praying for a miracle. She has fought so hard, and now has been laid low by two rounds of this chemo. 

Shawn is preparing to go home from the hospital soon and she needs a power wheel chair to be able to get around her home and community.  By donating, you will help Shawn to maintain a normal lifestyle.