A father's support for his son against cancer

Shane Raven is organizing this fundraiser.

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Hi, my name is Shane. I am a caring father of 3 beautiful children. I am creating this fundraiser to seek financial support so I can be with my son during his fight with cancer.

Our story …

My son Ayden just turned 16 this month (June 24). He has a gentle soul with a big heart. He is very empathic and usually puts the needs of others before his own. He enjoys listening to music, playing video games and most of all, spending time with his best friend Jeremy.

Since July of 2021, Ayden was complaining of consistent pain in his left shoulder. We consulted numerous doctors who all dismissed his pain as being muscular and recommended physiotherapy and painkillers.

By January 2022, his pain increased to the point that he could no longer endure it. I took Ayden to the hospital emergency as the mass, roughly the size of a softball had grown from his left shoulder joint and was now showing through his skin. By February, he was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, Osteosarcoma.

Ayden started chemotherapy treatments immediately. Unfortunately, the treatments were not as effective as we all had hoped they would be. If Ayden wanted to live and increase his chance of survival, the tumour in his left shoulder needed to be removed. This also meant, the amputation of his entire left arm starting from his shoulder.

After long reflections and thorough discussions, Ayden bravely made the difficult and heartbreaking decision to proceed with the removal of his entire left arm, left shoulder plate and the related lymph nodes. The surgery occurred on May 25 and was successful without any additional complications. Unfortunately, despite the successful surgery, we discovered that the cancer had already metastasized in his lungs.

During his recovery from the amputation, he was no longer receiving any kind of treatment for cancer and the 3 three initial masses in his lungs multiplied to over 50 in less than a month.

To slow down the growth of the existing masses and to prevent new ones from appearing, he began taking an experimental drug named Cabozantinib. This drug had the positive effect of sustaining the masses and stabilizing his cancer.

Many months passed with routine checkups and tests indicating that the masses in his lungs had stabilized. We were hopeful that Ayden would be now able to undergo the long-awaited surgery to remove the 3 major masses in his lungs. Unfortunately, after the doctors scrutinized the latest scans, it was decided that the masses in his lungs were no longer operable as it would greatly affect Ayden's quality of life and his ability to breathe effectively.

After hearing this disappointing news, we were then told that Ayden's life expectancy was anywhere from a few months to a few years (they did not know). The focus for 2023 and going forward, was to find ways to extend and promote Ayden's quality of life.

Again, months passed by with no serious health issues or side effects until April of 2023. Being on this experimental drug for as long as Ayden was, there were negative side effects directly impacting both his lungs. Ayden developed a new condition called Pneumothorax, holes in the lungs allowing air and liquid to leak from the lungs into the cavity between the lungs and the chest wall. Immediate surgery was required to treat this new condition or it would eventually result in the total collapse of his lungs.

Ayden is now in a palliative facility trying to recover from the Pneumothorax. He has great difficulty breathing on his own and is now required to have oxygen to maintain his ability to breathe. He coughs regularly with constant waves of nausea (due to excessive coughing). He has lost his appetite and a significant amount of weight. His health is in constant flux daily, it requires his mom and me to be always present by his side.

Your donations…

Since losing my job back in January of 2023, I am greatly struggling to make ends meet while caring for my son. As I am unable to go back to work and no longer have any financial support from our respective government channels, I am humbly looking for financial support. Any donations received would greatly help me to support and continue taking care of my son in his time of need.

The donations will help toward Ayden's medical care, enable me to continue travel between medical facilities, pay for our home and monthly bills, and for any other needs to help promote my son’s well-being and longevity.