My name is Madison and I’m honored to be writing this in hopes my beautiful friend, Shelby Cowden's story will touch your life as she has touched oh so many of our lives.

If you have been lucky enough to meet Shelby, you’ve positively experienced the pure, uninhibited joy and love that only a caring human like Shelby can offer. She has the impeccable ability to connect in a genuine way to those of all walks of life, with her compelling charisma and perpetual charm. She instantly brightens every room she walks into and frankly, this world will not be the same without her.

In 1986, Shelby was born in Colorado Springs and was a vibrant, energetic child with big dreams. She engaged in a variety of activities including fishing, soccer, basketball and after moving to Alberta in 1996, countless volunteer hours at the Cold Lake Agricultural Society. In her teens, her love of horses led her to compete on the High School Rodeo circuit which eventually led a successful semi-pro rodeo career barrel racing.

After graduating high school, Shelby pursued a career in hair and esthetics, becoming a highly sought after colourist. Proving her enthusiasm for growth and knowledge, Shelby then dedicated herself to trade school and became an industrial electrician in 2014.

A proud accomplishment for Shelby was in 2022 when she was recruited to be the Lead Quality Assurance Coordinator for an Oil and Gas Project in Odessa, Texas. She had landed her dream job when some health concerns became pressing, and her career had to be put on hold.

As some of you may already know, Shelby has endured an incredibly harrowing past 21 months. During this time, she has developed a rare condition known as “Chronic Aggressive Osteomyelitis”, a very hostile and repetitious style bone/muscle/tissue eating disease that is currently localized to her skull, jaw, upper spinal cord, ear drums and canals but is spreading.

After spending a collective 9 of the past 13 months admitted to the hospital, having had 18 surgeries and counting, the condition has completely ravaged her body and her spirit. In an attempt to contest this condition, surgeons have removed diseased bone from her jaw, skull and now her left TMJ joint in its entirety. Leaving her with a speech impediment and unable to eat or speak without immense pain. Through many failed surgeries, her left ear drum and canal have completely collapsed rendering her deaf out of her left ear with rapidly deteriorating hearing in her right ear. Although it has affected her physical appearance quite a bit, we all still think she is still absolutely stunning.

As this terrible condition has progressed, I’m heartbroken to report that her specialists have diagnosed her condition as terminal. 

During this tumultuous time, Shelby has been unable to work due to either being admitted to the hospital or spending her time in recovery from major, life altering surgeries whilst still trying to fight off this frightful disease.

Unfortunately it has now depleted all of her savings. She had to relocate a few months ago, and had all her personal belongings packed to the brim in her SUV. During one of her recent doctors visit, Shelby was involved in a car accident resulting in broken ribs, nose and tailbone. She was admitted to the hospital for treatment, and over the course of her stay, her vehicle was stolen, along with everything she owns – clothing, medications, electronics, everything, is gone.

Please help in supporting Shelby’s remaining time with us. We don’t know how much time she has left, but financial strain for basic life necessities is not a burden I want Shelby to be concerned with. She is a powerful enigma who deserves to be safe and comfortable for her remaining time with us. She is currently staying with a friend, but has nothing to offer in return for this kind gesture.

Any amount that you are able to contribute will go a very long way in helping aid our friend to live her best life in her surviving time she has left with us. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.