About
Shane’s Future Days is a 501(c)(3) volunteer non-profit foundation whose mission is to raise awareness, research funds and assist families currently battling alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma and other high risk childhood cancers. EIN: 47-2556395
What is Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma?
Click below to learn more about this rare childhood cancer and what we can do to fight it.
What does your donation goes towards?
Rhabdomyosarcoma is currently non-curable pediatric cancer and your donation goes directly to the research to help fight it.
The 21st is almost here and I wanted to pause and say THANK YOU to those who helped Shane’s Future Days brighten families affected by childhood cancer this holiday season.
-Our CHOP PACT team gift card drive and Holiday Gift Drive
Not only were we able to donate over $500 in gift cards,
we also helped a couple families through the PACT team
with all their holiday gifts
*Thank you to Kimberly Parker Cox, Bethany Parker,
Samantha Kane, Hope Anne Marie, Helene Metzgar, Roxanne Mayoros-Blasy and many more not on FB.
**A special thank you to the Falcone (Liz Rauch) family for buying gifts for specific members of our PACT families.
-Thank you to Wicked Cool Toys for your proceeds donation from your amazing 1st annual Santa’s Workshop event! We truly appreciate your efforts in putting on an outstanding event and supporting our families this holiday season.
-Four years ago, we moved in the middle of the most difficult part of our lives. It was crazy, overwhelming and before the move actually happened, we had no idea what our future held with Shane. We went into it before our trip to Boston.
We closed on 12/6/14 and that night Shane wound up at CHOP’s ER. We were quarantined for almost a week since he had RSV. We moved in 12/19/14 and on 12/22/14 I was back at CHOP with Shane for treatment. We came home on Christmas Eve. Somehow, every child’s room was set up as well as most of the house, along with 3 Christmas trees up and fully decorated.
It was a whirlwind with so much anxiety about the future. Our main goal was to get Shane into his new house and for him to live and enjoy it.
Now that….is holiday stress
Thank you Wicked Cool Toys for an incredible event! The decorations and activities were above and beyond amazing.
For every grieving parent, the start of the holiday season brings on some strong emotions. Thoughts, memories, what-if’s…
While we feel this, Paul and I push forward through the season, sometimes blurred eyed through the tears.
We celebrate the season with Shane by our side.
Today, his tree was completed. Every year we put up our “Shane tree.” We have ornaments of his favorite things, along with new ones we add each year.
This year while on vacation, Paul and I found a glass yellow balloon which reminded us of he storybook “My Yellow Balloon.” Ella found a new Tigger ornament and Chase got his pack of Arsenal ornaments and wanted Shane to have the gold one❤️
Today is Giving Tuesday. I encourage you to make a donation big or small to your favorite charity. Many rely on this time of year to further their endeavors for the next calendar year.
We are currently running a gift card drive to assist families under the care of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Palliative Care Team (PACT).
If you are unfamiliar with PACT, this is a team that guides families whose children are terminally ill. More than likely their child is on hospice care, whether at the hospital or in their home.
For us, the PACT team was a separate entity from the oncology unit. They do not get the same funding as the oncology. These doctors, nurses and child care specialists were there to guide us during the most heart wrenching moments of our lives.
They helped us transition from daily hospital visits to (by our own choice) entering our home to check up on Shane and his health. They picked us up when we were told there were no more treatment options for our Shane. They held our hands and guided us towards the unknown.
**The PACT team’s child life specialists hold a special place in our hearts.
They guided our children through healthy grieving. The mental toll the death of a sibling can take is incredible. We are FOREVER grateful for their assistance (and continued guidance) in making sure Chase and Ella grow up knowing how to cope with their ever changing emotions in relation to Shane.
For us, they are a group of incredible people who day after day assist families who have to face the death of a loved one. They bring smiles to sibling’s face and give those children the one on one attention they need to get through some very rough times. They allow their patients to forget for a moment that they are sick. Most importantly they provide a safe space for these children and siblings to talk about their feelings and teach them had to manage them.
So, if you are inclined to give today. Any money donated today will go towards the PACT team to assist their gift card drive. If you would rather mail in a gift card, please do so to:
Shane’s Future Days
P.O. Box 168
Abington, PA 19001
