Today, Shane would be TEN years old. Sadly, he only celebrated one birthday with us.
So, we ask you to join us in a heartfelt Fundraiser as we commemorate the 10th birthday of a remarkable child, whose courageous battle with cancer has left an indelible mark on our hearts.
While this occasion is bittersweet, it provides an opportunity to remember, honor, and continue the legacy of a child who touched countless lives. Together, let us rally behind the cause, ensuring that no child and family endure the pain of childhood cancer alone.
The story of Shane is one of unwavering strength, resilience, and the power of love. Despite facing tremendous adversity, he exhibited bravery beyond his tender years. Shane taught us the importance of cherishing every moment, finding joy in the face of hardship, and supporting one another during life’s most challenging times. As we gather to celebrate their 10th birthday, we reflect upon the impact Shane made and the lessons he bestowed upon us
How You Can Help:
1. Make a Donation:We are asking for a $10 donation to celebrate Shane’s 10th birthday. Every contribution, helps us advance the fight against childhood cancer.
2. Spread the Word: Share this fundraiser with your friends, family, and social networks. By amplifying our message, we can reach more people and garner support for this important cause.
3. Remember Shane today and cherish every moment. We definitely did.
In commemorating the 10th birthday of our courageous son who left this world too soon, we find solace in knowing that his legacy lives on. This fundraiser is a heartfelt tribute to his spirit, resilience, and the hope he inspired. Let us come together, celebrate his life, and make a difference for all the children and families affected by childhood cancer. Together, we can create a future where every child has the opportunity to thrive, grow, and enjoy their birthdays to the fullest.
 
 
 

September is childhood cancer awareness month. We decided it is the perfect time to host our first in person fundraising event in two years!

Bowl Over Childhood cancer is on September 24, 2022 from 1-5pm at South Bowl!

Ticket prices are $50 for adults and $25 for kids. The price includes: bowling, shoe rental, non alcoholic drinks and food. Raffle baskets and silent auction too!

We also have a lane sponsorship opportunity. The cost is $500. Your name or logo will be featured during the entire event above your lane and on the lane screen. Additionally, your name and logo will be mentioned on our website and social media outlets.

Purchase your tickets and sponsorships below!

Proceeds from this event will go towards our “Shane’s Beats from the Heart” bereavement project in collaboration with the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Palliative care team.

South Bowl is a “STRIKINGLY DIFFERENT” bowling experience!
Our event will be held in their downstairs, private billiard room, pizza cafe and the yard.

Downstairs area: 16 bowling lanes, bar, arcade games
Private billiard room: 6 bowling lanes, billiard tables and arcade games
The Yard: slow and fast pitch batting cages, two 40 foot bocce courts, shuffleboard, horseshoes, an outdoor arcade with billiards, an outdoor bar and lounge,

On July 2, 2022, Chase and Ella held their 6th annual LemonAID stand in Ventnor, NJ at the Ocean Breeze Art Center. This lemonAID stand started in 2015 after Shane passed. Chase wanted to do something to give back and in memory of Shane. Ella was a bit younger then, but she was the lead salesperson. It only took a year later for her name to be added to the stand.

We are so thankful to Susan Van Duyne for the opportunity each year.

The kids have donated the money raised from their stand to various organizations over the years. This year, they chose the Children’s Cancer Therapy Development Institute (www.cc-TDI.org). Chase and Ella know where the money is going and how it will be used, which means the most to them.

About Shane: Shane is our third child and our family’s connection to childhood cancer. Shane’s life may have seemed short to some, but those who were touched by his gentle spirit understood that the quality of his life far exceeded the quantity of time. Whether playing nerf with his brother Chase, or making us laugh as he danced to Frozen songs with his sister Ella, Shane taught us the value of perseverance and hope. Even though Shane was diagnosed at 8 months with an incurable childhood muscle cancer, rhabdomyosarcoma, Shane always found a way to make us smile.

Shane’s Legacy: Paul and I knew Shane was among the 1 in 5 children whose cancer has no cure. When treatments were no longer working, we wanted to help other parents of children like Shane in the future. So, we donated his tumors to further alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma research. Shane’s tumor became a cell line, shared many times around the world. His tumor also became an Avatar Mouse, publicly available to all researchers and used to discover an Achilles’ Heel of rhabdomyosarcoma, published as the cover article of the scientific journal, Science Signaling. A national clinical trial resulted. Shane’s tumors’ DNA findings can be downloaded for research from a public data- base. Altogether, Shane’s tumor has been a part of discoveries in more than a half dozen scientific publications.

About Shane’s Inspiration: Paul and I created Shane’s Future Days to raise awareness, support scientific research and support families in the Philadelphia area battling currently nondurable childhood cancers. In addition to donating Shane’s tumors for research, we have funded research projects and purchased lab equipment for cc-TDI (www.cc-TDI.org), as well as serving as board members and volunteering our time to the organization. We work very closely with the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Palliative Care Team who provide the world’s best care to patients with currently incurable childhood cancers. We collect gift cards and support families during the grieving process. We are currently working to create a music program in Shane’s honor with them. We also adopt local families during the holidays and provide them with holiday gift wishes.

About your partnership: These past two years has been like no other. The COVID-19 pandemic created obstacles, but Shane’s Future Days rose to the occasion. We have continued working for the children and their families affected by childhood cancer. We look forward to the upcoming 2022 season and being able to hold in person events.

With gratitude,

Michele and Paul Metzgar

Shane’s mom and dad

This year’s celebration of life will be different than any other.

We are entering our 6th year of this event and celebrating Shane’s 7th birthday.

A new year, a new celebration is coming your way!


If you follow us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/HelpShaneFightCancer), you know we had a busy December.

With the help of our supporters and the Kendra Scott store in King of Prussia Mall, we were able to support families through the Kisses for Kyle Foundation and The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Palliative Care Team. We bought individuals gifts and gift cards from KFK and gave the PACT team, as well as a another local organization that helps families through CHOP over $1,000 in gift cards.

So, we enter a new year….2020.

 I understand the anticipation of starting anew, seeing where the New Year takes you, but it’s also a reminder of another year without Shane.
Don’t get me wrong, we celebrate the anticipation with the kids, make resolutions, reflect back on the year and I wake up positive to greet the New Year. It’s just that we are missing a piece of our puzzle, our family….the life we never got to see in the last 4 years of this decade.

We missed birthdays—2, 3, 4, 5 & 6. Shane missed being a big brother, family vacations, the start of school and team sports, the list could go on.

HOWEVER…

What we can focus on is 
His legacy
Our memories 
Things we can do in the future to remind us of how strong we are from what we’ve been through.

We are so thankful for the success of Shane’s Future Days from the beginning to now. We are incredibly proud of the progress of Shane’s tumor donation and the research it has led to, as well as our continued partnership with Children’s Cancer Therapy Development Institute and CHOP’s PACT team.

We are blessed to have met so many through our journey and to all of you who have encouraged us, cried with us, supported us and created this with us.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. 

May the New Year and new decade bring health, happiness and a CURE!

Day 1

It’s here…September. 
For most, it’s the new beginning of another school year. Some parents are full of worry as their kids begin, hoping they like their teacher, find friends and flourish during the school year.
We have those same thoughts, but most of all September brings us back to the most difficult part of our lives.

September is childhood cancer month. It’s our time of reflection, and time to raise our voices and remind people that kids are dying everyday from a disease where there are not enough treatment options, not enough funding and not enough attention given.

We’ve shared this month with so many other families since 2014. It’s changed us. It’s shown us what is important in life. It has us fighting on a daily basis to make a difference for childhood cancer research.

Thank you for sharing Shane’s journey. Cancer is terrible at any age, but when it’s a child whose life barely even began, there is no comparison. If we don’t stand up for Shane and other children like him, who will?

*I will be posting every day for the month of September to raise awareness for childhood cancer. Follow us at: https://www.facebook.com/HelpShaneFightCancer/

#childhoodcancerawareness  #gogoldinseptember  #shanesfuturedays#HelpShaneFightCancer #SFD


Join us Saturday October 19th as we run, get muddy and have some fun for Shane’s Future Days at the Tough Mudder Tri State. Whether it is your first Tough Mudder or you have done them before, come join us for a great cause and experience. All ages and fitness levels welcome, it is not a race, we work together as a team to make sure everyone has a great time! We are running the ‘Tough Mudder Classic’ on Saturday. After you sign up below you will be able to join the team, follow the prompts in your confirmation email to join a team, and join Shane’s Future Days. If you have any issues, let us know and we will be able to email you an invite. 

https://toughmudder.com/events/2019-tri-state-classic

Don’t want to get dirty? No problem, donate to our cause here in support of those running for Shane’s Future Days. All money raised will go towards Christmas gift donations for pediatric cancer patients and their families. https://shanesfuturedays.org/donate/

As Paul mentioned at our 5th annual COL, we are funding a summer intern. Also, in honor of Kanen Wear, Hurrikanen Fights Back, and in memory of Antonio SantosStay Strong Antonio, Shane’s Future Days has donated $2,000 to a Ewing’s Sarcoma project. All of this has been through Children’s Cancer Therapy Development Institute.