Officer Shaun Willaby's Path to Recovery

**UPDATE 4-3-25**

On Monday, March 31st, medical staff at the VA were concerned that Shaun may be leaking spinal fluid from the surgical site. An MRI was given and confirmed this. Shaun was transferred back to the U of M to have surgery on 4-1-25 to repair the leak & also install a lumbar drain. Shaun should be transferred back to the VA within the next week or so.

Officer Shaun Willaby has dedicated his life to serving others—first as a volunteer firefighter, then in the National Guard, and now as a police officer in Wells, MN. Now, he needs our support.

In 2017, Shaun’s doctors discovered a mass in his spinal cord that they have been monitoring since. On March 18th 2025, he underwent surgery to remove it, but complications arose—he lost movement and nerve signals in his legs mid-surgery, forcing doctors to leave part of the mass in place.

Shaun is now in the VA hospital’s Spinal Cord Injury Unit, facing an uncertain road to recovery. He is experiencing balance issues, numbness, tingling, and sensation loss from the waist down. The extent of his recovery remains unknown, as does not know how long he’ll need rehabilitation or be unable to work. Pathology results on the mass are still pending.

Shaun has always shown up for his community. Now, let’s show up for him. Any donation will help ease medical costs, rehabilitation expenses, and lost income while he focuses on healing. If you can’t donate, sharing this fundraiser is just as valuable.