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A few weeks ago, I spent an evening drinking IPAs with one of my closest friends, Shannon. We do this as often as we can, drink beer and chat, but that night a few weeks ago was different. That was the day Shannon was diagnosed with ALS.
It's difficult to put into the words the emotions shared that night, and all the days since. Sometimes it's anger, then fear, then even laughter, because laughter feels like the band-aid we all need. Shannon is a wife, mom, daughter, friend, and teacher. She is loved by many and all of us hate this disease; we hate to see a beautiful person who has given so much, dealt this hand.
In case you don't know her, what makes Shannon pretty incredible is her tenacious grit along with being one of the most thoughtful and caring people I know. She is super mom to two incredible kids; Jacob (13) and Julia (10). When Julia was born with special needs, Shannon made the decision to leave her career to care for Julia full time, sometimes looking back wistfully, but never doubting the decision. It's not easy to live in Chicago on one teacher's salary, but Shannon made it work, and she has a household filled with love.
So if I come back to that night Shannon was diagnosed, and the reason I'm creating this page, the emotion that dominated that night was one of urgency; a need to share moments now with the people she loves. When I asked Shannon what was the one thing she would most want to do over the next year, she said she wants to go to Ireland with her family; her husband, Eric, Jacob, and Julia. Specifically, she wants to visit Shannon, Ireland, with her family. With this page, and ask for funds, I'm trying to make that happen for her. We're hoping for an October trip, a good time to take the kids out of school and hopefully the ALS has not progressed too far yet.
Many of you out there who know Shannon probably have the same thoughts that I do. There are so many medical costs coming her way; structural changes to her home so she can get around easily, medical care at home, and help caring for her kids when she is unable. I believe with ALS, dreams come first, so Ireland comes first. But life is a delicate balance of dreams and reality, and the reality is that Shannon will need assistance in the coming year to help her battle her way through this disease. The ask on this page is high, to cover both a dream and a reality.
Shannon has all the grit and love in the world to deal with this diagnosis and the reality it brings her. As her friends, we have the ability help make her journey a little easier.
It's difficult to put into the words the emotions shared that night, and all the days since. Sometimes it's anger, then fear, then even laughter, because laughter feels like the band-aid we all need. Shannon is a wife, mom, daughter, friend, and teacher. She is loved by many and all of us hate this disease; we hate to see a beautiful person who has given so much, dealt this hand.
In case you don't know her, what makes Shannon pretty incredible is her tenacious grit along with being one of the most thoughtful and caring people I know. She is super mom to two incredible kids; Jacob (13) and Julia (10). When Julia was born with special needs, Shannon made the decision to leave her career to care for Julia full time, sometimes looking back wistfully, but never doubting the decision. It's not easy to live in Chicago on one teacher's salary, but Shannon made it work, and she has a household filled with love.
So if I come back to that night Shannon was diagnosed, and the reason I'm creating this page, the emotion that dominated that night was one of urgency; a need to share moments now with the people she loves. When I asked Shannon what was the one thing she would most want to do over the next year, she said she wants to go to Ireland with her family; her husband, Eric, Jacob, and Julia. Specifically, she wants to visit Shannon, Ireland, with her family. With this page, and ask for funds, I'm trying to make that happen for her. We're hoping for an October trip, a good time to take the kids out of school and hopefully the ALS has not progressed too far yet.
Many of you out there who know Shannon probably have the same thoughts that I do. There are so many medical costs coming her way; structural changes to her home so she can get around easily, medical care at home, and help caring for her kids when she is unable. I believe with ALS, dreams come first, so Ireland comes first. But life is a delicate balance of dreams and reality, and the reality is that Shannon will need assistance in the coming year to help her battle her way through this disease. The ask on this page is high, to cover both a dream and a reality.
Shannon has all the grit and love in the world to deal with this diagnosis and the reality it brings her. As her friends, we have the ability help make her journey a little easier.