Saving Shahreen’s Voice and Life-Fight Against Tongue Cancer

Please Help My Wife, Shahreen Sholpan, Fight Stage 3 Tongue Cancer

Dear friends, family, and compassionate supporters,

I’m reaching out today with a heavy heart to ask for your support. My wife, Shahreen Sholpan, has recently been diagnosed with Stage 3 tongue cancer, and our world has turned upside down.

It started with what seemed like minor discomfort, some pain in her mouth, difficulty speaking and eating, but things progressed quickly. After a biopsy and a PET scan at the hospital, we received the devastating diagnosis.

Her doctor, Dr. Baran D. Sumer, a specialist in head and neck cancer at UT Southwestern, has recommended a major surgery to remove part of her tongue. They will also need to reconstruct her tongue using tissue from another part of her body so she can relearn how to eat, speak, and live normally again.

This surgery is only the beginning. Her treatment plan includes chemotherapy and radiation, and the recovery time is expected to be at least 8 to 12 months. As part of her recovery, Shahreen will also need to go through eating therapy and speech therapy to regain basic functions many of us take for granted.

During this time, she will not be able to work, and I have already reduced my hours to care for her. We are doing everything we can to stay strong as a family, but the medical costs are overwhelming.

Insurance is not covering all of the expenses, and now the bills are piling up. We are facing out-of-pocket costs for surgery, hospital stays, specialist care, medications, nutritional support, therapy sessions, travel, and long-term recovery.

If you’re able to donate, no matter the amount, it will go directly toward Shahreen’s care and healing. If you can’t donate, please consider sharing this message and keeping us in your thoughts and prayers.

Watching someone you love go through this is heartbreaking. But I believe in her strength and in the kindness of our community.

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for standing with us during this fight.