Shauna's 1-in-a-Million MedicalFund

Meet Shauna. She is a single mom of two miraculous twins-- Bellamy and Colby (that's them in the picture!)-- who each battled their own medical challenges in infancy to be the fiesty, adorable survivors they are today. She is a clinical social worker who has spent her career helping vulnerable children, youth and families. She is a friend, a sister, a colleague, a girlfriend, a daughter, an inspiration. She works full-time and parents full-time, with little wiggle room for anything else.

And now she's fixing to be a survivor.

After finding a bump on her head in April 2016, Shauna was diagnosed with an extremely rare blood cancer called Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis. This condition affects only 1 in one million people, almost exclusively babies and children, so Shauna’s case is a true medical rarity. LCH causes tumors throughout the body, and prognosis varies widely depending on where tumors develop.

On July 1, Shauna had neurosurgery to remove the portion of her skull containing the tumor. She recovered well from the surgery and began back at work in August. Her oncology team was optimistic that the tumor was fully removed and her prognosis for full remission was good.

In late August, after experiencing some hearing loss and neurologic symptoms, an MRI revealed a new tumor, this time in Shauna’s brain in her left frontal lobe. Brain and Central Nervous System LCH involvement is considered extremely high-risk and must be treated aggressively to stop the damage before Shauna becomes permanently disabled. While the mortality rate for LCH is low (around 10%), brain involvement can cause serious neuro-cognitive, physical and medical problems as the LCH cells destroy brain tissue. Shauna’s medical teams at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and Dana Farber Cancer Center are consulting on a treatment plan while Shauna undergoes extensive testing to determine the extent of the cancer in her body. The plan ahead likely includes chemo and radiation, and possibly additional neurosurgery.

Shauna has had to take extensive unpaid medical leave, and as a single parent, the financial impact of lost work and mounting medical bills has added tremendous stress at this already overwhelming time. At this time, she is leaving her position as Assistant Director of a youth mental health program to move closer to her medical team in Hanover, NH.

We know Shauna is one in a million. We just never thought it would be like this. Super mom, change-agent-social-worker, feisty friend, and now, defeater of rare illnesses. Please help support Shauna and her children with the resources that will ensure she can take on LCH without the financial stressors that loom. Thank you!