Support the family of Susan Baldwin Shaffer

I am heartbroken to request your support for the daughter and husband of our dear friend, Susan Baldwin Shaffer. Susan died suddenly and quite unexpectedly on Friday at 57 years old.

Susan was my sister Elizabeth's best friend. Susan had a chromosome 18 deletion, the same rare genetic condition as Elizabeth, and was one of the oldest members with their condition. This made them immediate best friends when they met about 20 years ago. It was beautiful to watch their friendship blossom, along with several other adults with a chromosome 18 condition, whose shared life experience bonded them together in a special way that many of us could never understand.

Anyone who ever met Susan will remember her energy and enthusiastic leadership for the chromosome 18 self-advocates. Susan never met a stranger and was always eager to befriend any newcomers to the chromosome 18 community.

Susan faced much adversity in her life and always managed to bounce back and make the best of it. In the summer of 2024, Susan's husband Paul was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and Susan moved to an assisted living facility to get additional help in her daily living while Paul underwent surgery and began chemotherapy. If you know Susan, you know she must have made instant friends with everyone at the facility, and it's no surprise to hear that she loved her time there. It seemed as if she had overcome yet another difficult time and was settling into the next phase, which made it even more shocking when she collapsed on November 1st. Susan’s sudden and unexpected passing left her daughter, Shannon, and husband, Paul, confused and grieving.

Her daughter Shannon is 31 years old and has the same chromosome 18 condition as her mother and yet is studying at Gallaudet University in Washington, DC. Paul begins his next round of chemotherapy this week, just days after losing his wife.

I am asking for your financial support to help Paul and Shannon through this very difficult time. With funeral expenses and medical costs together, this is putting even more strain on the family, and you can help relieve some of that pressure by getting involved and supporting them with some of these expenses. Every donation, no matter how big or small, will make a difference, and I know that our amazing Chromosome 18 community comes together in situations like this to pull together for Paul and Shannon. Thank you.