Strength for Shannon: A New Beginning

My dad, Scott Christensen, was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer this last December, and after months of suffering, passed away in April. He left behind his widow, my mom, Shannon Christensen. In the year leading up to his diagnosis, he faced two layoffs, which caused them to go into debt and fall behind on expenses. He had just gotten a new job when they got the diagnosis.

My mom, Shannon, was born with severe congenital scoliosis. Additionally, she has osteoarthritis. She experiences severe chronic pain in her back and legs. Over the years, she has been to many doctors and surgeons and had a couple of surgeries, which did not help her pain at all. With her circumstances, she is not able to hold a full time job, as sitting and standing for extensive amounts of time are both extremely painful for her. Unfortunately, she is not eligible for SSDI either.

Now that her husband has passed away, she is forced to support herself with her limited abilities. After the financial difficulties they faced with unemployment, she is left in a really difficult situation. Between paying for him to be cremated, the funeral and memorial service fees, ordering his headstone, and everything in between - it has been so financially stressful and she has so much anxiety about her future. I have already taken it upon myself to sell my Dad’s car, in order to help pay for some of these expenses. The funds from selling his car have helped somewhat, but is really only a drop in the bucket when it comes to the trials and hardship my mother is facing right now, let alone in the upcoming months with the expenses she has yet to incur.

Our goal is to raise $20,000 to help Shannon cover immediate bills and provide some relief during this difficult time. We appreciate any contribution, big or small. Your donations will go directly to Shannon as she deals with the loss of her husband as well as her change in circumstances.

We would be so thankful if you can share this campaign. We appreciate your love, support and prayers so much. It is so hard to watch my mom deal with this horrible grief of losing her husband, as well as see her stress so much about her future.

Thank you & God bless you.