Hello,

My name is Irene Boon. Many of you know me from working at Lakeridge Health Oshawa and the Durham Regional Cance Center where I currently work in Hematology. You know me as the loud laughing, low voiced and spiky haired nurse. I have worked in many places but kept in touch with you in one way or another.

I am asking for 5 minutes of your time to read about my Brother, and possibly make a small donation for the sake of our acquaintance.

I am the most loved sister. I am the honestly loved by the best human being, friend, and brother anyone has had the fortune of knowing.

My brothers name is Shawn White.

Shawn was diagnosed in 2020 with Non-Hodgkins Follicular Lymphoma. It was on Boxing day, when what we thought was a kidney stone, and an annoying trip to the local emergency department, that his family and my world turned upside down. I know all to well what his journey thus far entails because,I am an Oncology nurse who helps people like my brother everyday.

Shawn is not Just my brother, he is the best of the soft hearted and kind people you just have to keep near you because they Always make Your life better. Better because he is always putting others first, in all the ways a truly decent man does.

What is most important is why, he is my Hero.

Shawn and I were raised by my mother. When I say that, I mean, I was raised by my brother. We moved around alot as children, even two different provinces and yet he was the constant in my life.

If you know me, you know I care about and talk to everyone, I mean everyone. Shawn taught me that you give what you get, and you give respect to everyone as you are no better than others. You should be responsible to make the lives of others better when you leave them, never worse if you try hard enough.

He also raised me to love and care for others with my whole heart, even when sometimes those who didn't want or deserve it, came my way.

This brother of mine never once, growing up made me feel like I was an inconvenience as a little sister. Always needing to watch out for me, drag me along everywhere to his friends, playing basketball, baseball, hockey for hours on end, even to his girlfriends house. He was a teenager, a young man and still, not a pinch of resentment. Imagine, with me being 4 years younger too.

Becoming such a deep part of his life he became my Friend, and not just my brother.

Shawn showed perhaps the strongest character as a brother when he traveled to Newfoundland a little over 6 years ago to see first hand our long lost ( to us ) family, before ever telling me, so he could spare me, his grown sister, any pain or harm if they were not what they ought have been.

Who does that?.

My Brother, My Hero, My Friend

Shawn White.

Shawn and his loving wife Susan have 3 great kids. All three young adults are kind, loving, and hard working just as their parents are.

Here is the part that is difficult.

Although Shawn has had the best of care at Kingston Cancer Center, although he did Everything right with his treatment and follow-up care at home, he is still not back at work. For whatever reason, and we are still trying to find out, his blood counts will not make a return on their own. He has been a little over two years now dealing with Lymphoma head on. He has been brave in the face of fear, supporting others,when he had little in reserve emotionally for himself and keeping ever positive despite multiple set backs.

It is a financial hardship he, or we, were unprepared for as this is not typical.

He and Susan have had some set backs along the way as well. Vehicles dying, which was poor timing on a good day, some unexpected financial costs associated with family, which many of us encounter along the way and costs have gone up in general as we all know.

Susan has, to her immense credit gone back to school to ensure she had a steady job as a Sterile Processing Technician all the while working and caring for Shawn.

Susan is incredible, working every shift she possibly can to make it easier for Shawn. How she does it I truly do not known. I do know that she is the reason my brother is alive, the reason Shawn and I have the love of our whole family back in Newfoundland, and the reason I have a sister, when, I was born to a brother.

Although Shawn had limited sick coverage through his work benefits he has, as I have said, had some unfortunate set backs while off. The car they have is somewhat reliable and although we are awaiting more information on what comes next in terms of his treatment I would like to ask for your help to have a contingency fund for a reliable, used vehicle or money to cover the expenses he and Susan incurred while he has been off fighting cancer. He has to commute for treatment and eventually our hope is that he gets back to work soon but safely.

They have exhausted what they have and Susan could not work more if she cloned herself.

My brother would honestly be mortified to know I have reached out to my family and friends for help as that is not his way. It is not due to pride, but due to the fact he always helps others before himself.

So now I ask, with a sense of complete humility if you can please donate $5, $10 dollars or whatever you can so I can help them have a safe guard fund .

I always heard growing up that every little bit helps, it is true, it does.

Thank you all whom took the time to read this. Even if you cannot help you now know more about the person who is responsible for making me a part of your day in some way or another.

I could write books about all the beautiful, loving ways he has been my brother and friend but it would be too long and their is not enough Kleenex at hand.

Thank you for your time and help.