Help Makenna BEAT Cancer!

My name is Shaelyn Long and I go by the stage name of Makenna Michaels. I have been a drag entertainer for 12 years and have worked a full time job since I was 17 years old.

I went to St. Bernards Emergency room on May 5th with very severe stomach pains, I had assumed it was for a hernia-related issue I have had before. Sadly, I was wrong. They found in my CT scans that my large intestine and several of my organs and lymphnodes were inflamed, so they took tissue samples and sent them off to be analyzed. After what felt like an eternity I received a phone call informing me they came back positive for Adnocarcinoma (cancerous cells).

They then followed up with a PET scan to check the spread and origin of the cancer. After a panic attack and an excruciating 45 mins in an MRI machine, I found out that I have stage 4 colon cancer. It has spread to several parts of my liver and between my lungs, including a .25mm adnocarcinoma mass in my large

The doctor said that this cancer is uncurable; however, it is NOT untreatable. So with the start of chemotherapy I have the upmost faith that this cancer will shrink and become nothing but a memory one day! I was told that returning to work wasn't going to be an option for me. This has been the most difficult pill to swallow, since have always worked 1 if not 2 full-time jobs my entire adult life. So going from being entirely self-sufficient to being held back to let my body heal has been the most mentally taxing on me.

Knowing that now our income is solely coming from my husband alone puts a knot in my stomach not being able to help him and help myself. But I am waiting for my paperwork from Arkansas Disability. I've heard that it can take a while, but I'm not giving up! I'm simply asking for help to keep my life and my family afloat as I work through the first steps of this scary journey.

Being Unapologetically Myself

With Love

Makenna/Shae