Shawn's Battle: A Father's Love

My name is Ashley Lindsey Frank a.k.a. Greatness. This will play a roll later on. I come seeking support, advice, strength, but most of all prayers. I have 2 children, a son Connor (14), and a daughter Ella (8). My eldest's child's father is nearing completion in his story. A story in which I will be the narrator to I tell my son as he grows up. While I am sure to find much help along the way, this pulls hard on my heart strings.

Shawn Kelly Howe - Born June 4th 1984, Shawn has 3 children in total, Sara, Connor, and Lil Shawn, wife Tiffany, brother Delvin, and 2 grandchildren.

Shawn was diagnosed with throat cancer about 3 years ago. Surgery and chemo seem to do the trick and he was put into remission about a year later. Things seem to be on the up and up and he and is wife actually moved next door to my husband and I. His relationship with Connor grew, at a point in his like that he needed, as did I. Almost a year passes without incident, he and his wife move onto a new home, still close to us, and my son is in a happy place with his relationship with his dad.

Shawn and I dated for several years, in which we had Connor, my 1st child, his 2nd. He loves to play video games as does my son, it is definitely one of their ways of bonding. Well me being slightly competitive person, I thought I to must try this gaming. Greatness was born. I remember joining the boys playing, and this was before Connor was born, and had put much thought into my gamer tag (name). I entered the online battlefield and Shawn reads out my name, I will always remember his face, the audacity to call myself Greatness tickled him to say the least. Little did he know at the time I had been practicing while he was at work, and was ready to show my skills on the battlefield. I did not disappoint. Years later as my son started playing, he was talking to his dad about a game Call of Duty. I intervened with lets go son, see you on the field. My son turns and says "you don't know how to play." This was followed by Shawn loudly saying, "You don't know Greatness." Son's jaw on the floor.

About 6 months ago, he was rushed to hospital with complaints of having trouble breathing, after a week stay that he was not happy about in the hospital, he was sent home. The prognosis scary: He had a deflated lung with a large mass and further testing would be needed. The mass was to large to operate and reinflation of the lung was ruled out as an option. I cant image we are born with 2 to breath on only one, must strain the body even more.

As testing was being done, I did some research myself, a.k.a. called my aunt a 30+ year nurse wiz and amazing women that stood at my side when I lost my mother to Pancreatic cancer. I needed some answers that would not be filtered, as I needed to prep my son for what I know to be one of the hardest things he will go through. I did not want him to be blindsided as I was. As a child, hell even adult your parents are superhuman and will survive anything. Naive I know but, so took that route, and did not want my son to miss a hug, a smile, a moment due to a naive mind. As I feed her the facts I knew, she gave me her prognosis, followed with miracles happen.

Results are in and close to the timeline given to me. Lung cancer stage 4. My heart was heavy not only my son, but Shawn. I cant image it be anything less than scary as hell to be knocking at death's door. In a perfect world 2-3 years. But if you don't know cancer, it rarely kills, it is the compilations from the cancer that usually take the final toll.

Current situation: More testing was was done and cancer is in both lungs while the chemo is shrinking some of the masses in the lungs, a larger mass in the pancreas is gaining in size. Extreme arm pain lead to a diagnosis of bone cancer in the arm. The cancer is eating away at his body and a real timeline is short.

Shawn gets up everyday and goes to work, hours and minutes he will never get back with his kids and wife. If this money could help in anyway, I would see to it he never returns to work and spend every moment he could with the ones he loves. I wish more anything he finds a ok place in his heart before his story ends.

So this is what I ask, this is what I am here to try and make happen. So if you can and are willing help me help Shawn find some light, some peace in a very dark tunnel.