Hope, Help for Andrew "Andy" Shahan
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If you are a friend and admirer of Andrew “Andy” Shahan—and that is, by any measure, a considerable number of us—I ask that you help us turn the tables. Ordinarily, he would be the first to rush to our aid. In this instance, he needs ours.
For all of his distinguished 55 years, Andy has quietly borne the consequences of a venous malformation affecting his lower lip, chin and jaw. It affects how he speaks, how he eats, and—here’s the real rub—how he sees himself. Under the best of circumstances, many of us struggle to maintain a positive self-image. Where our imperfections are visible to others, that struggle can be profound. At each stage of our lives, we have vulnerabilities, ways that we fear not fitting in.
Andy would be the first to say that friends and family have shored up his hope at many points, often just by telegraphing to him that he is up to this, that his life means so much more than the attention misdirected to his mouth and lip.
But think about, even with love and support, the courage required to get through a day, a week . . . 55 years. Sometimes it is children making careless comments; too often it is grownups. The comments have been directed to him and behind his back.
How easy it would be to isolate oneself and become bitter. Andy has chosen neither path. He is at home in the world, determined to keep his head high and
to make a difference in the way he approaches his work and relationships.
Better
Andy has tried procedures over the years, with mixed results. The most recent one – in 1998 – was a surgical procedure to remove the venous malformation. Because it involves blood vessels, those stubborn things, the condition reasserted itself over time. He convinced himself that he had given it his best shot, that to do anything more somehow would be—though we would disagree—self-indulgent.
Recently, while he was at the dermatologist for another matter, the doctor raised the issue of what can be done today, the strides that have been made. The surgery is worth doing, not just for the greater promise of the procedure but for the restoration of a feeling of self-worth, for the courage to be himself fully, for the chance to engage in relationships without fear of rejection.
The gap between what Andy’s insurance will cover and the cost of the procedure is $8,000. Given the number of us who love the gentle soul of Andy Shahan, this is so very doable. Let’s get started. Let’s acknowledge his goodness with some of our own.
Living life to the fullest always has been a feature of Andy’s spirit; you can make it part of his daily reality by speeding him on this long-overdue journey.
If you are a friend and admirer of Andrew “Andy” Shahan—and that is, by any measure, a considerable number of us—I ask that you help us turn the tables. Ordinarily, he would be the first to rush to our aid. In this instance, he needs ours.
For all of his distinguished 55 years, Andy has quietly borne the consequences of a venous malformation affecting his lower lip, chin and jaw. It affects how he speaks, how he eats, and—here’s the real rub—how he sees himself. Under the best of circumstances, many of us struggle to maintain a positive self-image. Where our imperfections are visible to others, that struggle can be profound. At each stage of our lives, we have vulnerabilities, ways that we fear not fitting in.
Andy would be the first to say that friends and family have shored up his hope at many points, often just by telegraphing to him that he is up to this, that his life means so much more than the attention misdirected to his mouth and lip.
But think about, even with love and support, the courage required to get through a day, a week . . . 55 years. Sometimes it is children making careless comments; too often it is grownups. The comments have been directed to him and behind his back.
How easy it would be to isolate oneself and become bitter. Andy has chosen neither path. He is at home in the world, determined to keep his head high and
to make a difference in the way he approaches his work and relationships.
Better
Andy has tried procedures over the years, with mixed results. The most recent one – in 1998 – was a surgical procedure to remove the venous malformation. Because it involves blood vessels, those stubborn things, the condition reasserted itself over time. He convinced himself that he had given it his best shot, that to do anything more somehow would be—though we would disagree—self-indulgent.
Recently, while he was at the dermatologist for another matter, the doctor raised the issue of what can be done today, the strides that have been made. The surgery is worth doing, not just for the greater promise of the procedure but for the restoration of a feeling of self-worth, for the courage to be himself fully, for the chance to engage in relationships without fear of rejection.
The gap between what Andy’s insurance will cover and the cost of the procedure is $8,000. Given the number of us who love the gentle soul of Andy Shahan, this is so very doable. Let’s get started. Let’s acknowledge his goodness with some of our own.
Living life to the fullest always has been a feature of Andy’s spirit; you can make it part of his daily reality by speeding him on this long-overdue journey.
Organizer
Andrew Shahan
Organizer
Decatur, GA
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