Young Veteran in Need (Cancer)

On February 25, 2015, we received the worst possible news a parent can receive; our twenty-eight-year-old son was diagnosed with colon cancer due to Lynch Syndrome and has been scheduled for surgery on March 25, 2015. For the past year, Shane has seen multiple doctors to find out what was causing his severe stomach pains. Every doctor said it was ulcers, yet Shane continued to suffer through his stomach pains until one day the pain was so intense that he could barely move; his wife decided it was time to take him to the emergency room. After seeing a series of specialists, we discovered it was colon cancer. The whole family immediately rallied around Shane, flying from various corners of the country. We were lucky enough to find an amazing surgeon and health care team at Emory Hospital with a treatment plan that includes a surgery to remove 2/3 of his colon. Due to the severity of his condition, the surgeon was able to set a quick surgery date, and we cannot lose it. Unfortunately, Shane’s insurance will not provide coverage to any hospital wherein this doctor operates. Additionally, because our son has insurance, Emory is not providing financial assistance. Our son and his wife are both Marine Corps veterans; they joined the military after high school, and their service ended at the end of 2012. At that time, both my son and his wife enrolled in college and started living a very normal student life with minimal income from their verteran GI Bills. It was not long before our son’s previously optimal health started declining. The news of our son’s cancer has been a blow to every member of the family. It is a confusing, scary and overwhelming time. It feels as though we cannot possibly sit still, like we must act to save him but are paralyzed by uncertainty and ineptitude, trying to free oneself from quicksand while terrified from your inexperience and knowledge that a wrong move is worse than no move at all. To one day be able to see our son healthy and cancer free is our greatest wish. We truly appreciate any and all donations and prayers offered in support during this daunting time.