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.
This is a gift card drive for the families under the care of
The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s PACT team.
Many of you have reached out to us during past holiday seasons and have helped.
We are assisting specific families again this year, but it’s too difficult to list those items and have people purchase them because in my opinion there needs to be a quick turnaround of gifts. Everyone’s situation is different when under the PACT team’s care, however all of these families are under their care because their child’s diagnosis is untreatable.
Time is important.
This is why we thought the gift card drive would be an amazing way for our supporters who want to participate in helping childhood cancer families during the holiday season. The PACT team heavily relies on the donations of gift cards to assist these families.
These families are either inpatient or outpatient. There are siblings to the sick children and bereaved children too.
These gift cards would ease the burden to the parents who are primarily focused on the well being of their sick child, as well as maintaining normalcy to their siblings. It’s difficult to go out and shop when you are caring for a sick child. No parent wants to leave their side. These gift cards will be so helpful.
Suggested gift cards would be: amazon, google play, xbox, netflix, Giant, Whole Foods, Starbucks, Target, children’s clothing stores (ages of children infant to teenager).
Please: no restaurants unless they are specific to the University City area or iTunes gift cards as there is abundance of these at CHOP for patients.
Gift cards can be mailed to :
Shane’s Future Days
P.O. Box 168
Abington, PA 19001
https://www.facebook.com/events/478886379287663/
Come shop at Kendra Scott Ardmore from 12-2 with some sips and sweets!
20% of the sales will go to Shane’s Future Days!
The holidays are coming and this is a perfect way to get yourself or someone you love a beautiful piece of jewelry all while giving back to help fight childhood cancer in Shane’s memory.
We will have a special piece in honor of Shane in the color of his birthstone, Ruby. It will make a special gift during the holiday season and also give back to childhood cancer research.
If you are out of town and wish to participate, please email us at: michelemetzgar@shanesfuturedays.org
https://www.facebook.com/events/556708078116537/
It’s now officially October. While things are turning pink, we continue to fight for GOLD to be more seen and heard.
#SFD #HelpShaneFightCancer #ARMSaware #letsdobetter
Today is the last day of childhood cancer awareness month. As you know, it’s everyday for our family and so many other families across the globe. We don’t need a designated month to know how unfair a childhood cancer diagnosis can be.
On Tuesday, March 24, 2014, Shane was sedated for the first of many times, to undergo an MRI. Paul and I weren’t completely convinced that Shane had cancer at this point. We were not allowed to be with Shane during the MRI, just a kiss good-bye as he was wheeled away under the influence of versed so he could tolerate the test.
During that time, I met with the urologist. More blood tests were ordered and I wanted to know the outcome. Everything was clean. No changes, no other indicators of disease. We both discussed it and I had convinced myself that he was suffering from an autoimmune disease since they can be unique and difficult to diagnose.
I returned before Shane came back and shared the conversation I had with the doctor to Paul. We left the hospital in high spirits.
At 4 p.m. my cell phone rang. Paul answered it. He answered all the horrible calls. The ones telling us news we couldn’t stand to hear. He looked like someone punched him the face. He repeated the words the doctor told him on the phone. I lost it. I don’t think I’ve ever been so out of control of my own self. I’m not even sure I remember how I came down from that moment.
The next day we arrived in the surgical center waiting room. Shane was scheduled for a biopsy to confirm his type of cancer.
My baby had cancer.
We sat in a waiting room filled with circular tables with chairs. We sat and waited until the woman in charge came to update us on Shane and his procedure.
He was in recovery. The doctor wanted to talk with us. They biopsied the lymph node, etc. It came up blue. It was in fact cancer.
Confirmed.
We spent our first night on the oncology floor that night as Shane recovered from his procedure. It was my first of many nights there by myself without my family. The first of many nights where others had to prepare Chase and Ella for school. putting them to bed, waking them up, preparing breakfast, making their lunch, etc.
So, yes when your child is diagnosed with cancer, it affects your whole family. It changes everything.
*Note: Any missing dates for the month of September are posted on our FB page: https://www.facebook.com/HelpShaneFightCancer/
