Shannan’s Long Journey to Healing & Home. Shannan Wise Boland, also known to many as “Shag,” really needs our support at this time. Most of us have a story about Shag that will induce so much laughter when trying to tell it again! Many of us have a story about her kindness, big heart, and how she has been there for us during a certain struggle in our life. We need to be there for her now. She needs us now… more than ever.

On 4/14/26, Shannan went to the ER with vomiting and a painful abscess on her left buttock. She was admitted immediately, antibiotics were started, and surgery was planned for the next morning. Surgery was done and all seemed well… until it wasn’t. This type of infection is often complicated by diabetes and can hinder wound healing. Shannan has been fighting diabetes for quite some time. Within 48 hours, the infection had spread, requiring more surgery for removal of a large amount of dead tissue and gangrene. She was moved to ICU as her condition has the potential for rapid decline, and she went from stable to critical very quickly. She is diagnosed with Necrotizing Fasciitis, also known as the “flesh-eating” bacterial infection. This is a rare, emergent, life-threatening condition (30% mortality rate) that progresses quickly and is often fatal, leading to sepsis, organ failure, and limb loss. On Monday 4/20/26, she had the 5th surgery that involved her left buttock, rectal area, over to right buttock, and down her inner and back thigh. To say the extent of involvement is shocking is an understatement. She was transferred by Air Evac LifeTeam to Joseph M. Still Burn Center at Doctors Hospital in Augusta, GA for specialized wound care. She is facing many more surgeries and her prognosis is uncertain at this time. Our prayer is the necrotizing fasciitis has stopped spreading. Eventually, she will have tissue and skin grafting to close the areas that have been removed. We are nowhere near there nor “out of the woods” yet. Through this we have laughed, cried, cried, laughed, and cried some more. She is scared of what lies ahead. She is scared of what else could go wrong. She is just scared. She tries to make light of her fear, pain, and suffering; mainly so others in the room won’t worry too much. That’s just like her to try to make everyone else feel better.

Thankfully, her daughter, Julie Boland, has been with her through this and will continue to be at her side as much as possible. Her daughter, Savannah McMillan, will also be traveling to be with her as well. Missing work for both Shannan and Julie will become a burden financially. Monthly bills are going to keep coming due along with the expenses of being away from home like meals, lodging, laundry, gas, personal items, and unexpected things that we haven’t even thought about. Then there will be medical bills rolling in soon. Once home, she will also have the expense of wound care visits and supplies that go along with that, traveling back to Augusta for follow-up and further admissions for skin grafting surgery. The thoughts of financial woes should be the last thing she is worrying about right now. Thank you in advance for your support. No matter the amount, it will be received with a grateful and thankful heart. If you are unable to contribute monetarily, you can certainly help by keeping her lifted up in prayer. You can follow along on social media (Facebook) for updates as she continues on: Shannan’s Long Journey to Healing & Home.