We would first to thank you all for your well wishes, prayers and motivation. Last week was rough. Like all new roads on this journey, there is an adjustment period. There are times that are so hard. I can now look back and be amazed that we got through some of those roads. Those experiences help us on new ones, knowing that eventually things will get better. This is what we went through last week. Shane had a lot of adjusting to do (some of which is still hard, but more manageable). By Thursday he had adjusted to waking up and not nursing, got used to sedation and was eating a bit more. He was battling a viral infection which caused a cough that led to vomiting and gagging. Thankfully, none of this was related to his therapy. Read More

I wish we had better news. Shane’s cancer continues to grow in his pancreas and now has spread to his brain. This was a shock to all of us, but this is the nature of the beast we are dealing with. Shane is getting a CT scan and will start radiation next week to slow and hopefully stops the spread. We were were given a prognosis of weeks. We are hoping to turn the weeks into months. It hurts, but its not unexpected. Everyone is doing everything in their power to fight this. Unfortunately, there isn’t a cure for the rare cancer that he has. We continue to fight. Giving up is not an option for us, and definitely not for him.

As we move into the new year, we wanted to take the time to thank all of you for your support through these tough times. The love and support that we’ve received from all of you, has been incredible. We are truly blessed. Thoughts and prayers gets us through each and every day.

Shane is a fighter. He’s been amazing through the process and continues to be. His chemo changed and little man just rolls with the punches. He brings so much happiness to us. Whether he is here with us for the year, 5 years or 80 years, we cherish every moment with him.  No child should ever have to go through what he’s going through. And he does, with a big smile on his face.

We are taking the steps to create a foundation in Shane’s name called Shane’s Future Days. The foundation is all about looking forward, looking towards the future. Going through this journey, without hope, you are left with nothing. We know the odds, but giving up is not in our DNA and certainly not in Shane’s. The foundation is going to focus on raising funds for rhabdomyosarcoma research, building awareness through various fundraisers, and giving back to families going through what we are going through. We’ve met so many amazing people, families and organizations along the way that have reached out to us. We can’t wait to give back. Paying it forward is in our DNA.

Setting up a foundation is a long process. This is the start. Our EIN# is  47-2556395 – Shanes Future Days. All donations for 2014 and going forward are tax deductible. We are in the planning stages for various fundraisers throughout 2015 and beyond. There will be more information to follow.

You can also follow us on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/HelpShaneFightCancer. Again, we wanted to say thank you to everyone. We wish everyone a happy and healthy 2015. We’ll be in touch.
Love, The Metzgars

Goodbye 2014! On December 31st, we were supposed to celebrate the end of our journey with Shane’s last chemo. Whether we would have rung a bell or thrown a party, it doesn’t matter. The celebration would have been short lived and we would have had to pick ourselves up higher than we have in the recent past. We cheers to the end of the hardest year of our lives. We have hard feelings, but as always you must find the positives.

We have ourselves a little fighter. Shane was not expected to make it this far. The doctors are constantly amazed at his progress. For his strength, we are thankful. My husband and I are a solid team. Who says you can’t meet your soulmate in a bar? Chase and Ella are braver than they ever knew they could be. Through this all, we have maintained their lives as best as we could.

We are blessed with supportive family and amazing friends-new and old-who are by our side every step of the way. While 2014 was not as we expected, we have learned a lot about ourselves…our strengths, what pure joy and happiness is and above all to be thankful for each and every day. To all those fighters out there, we are lucky to know you…to share the ups and downs and to find support in one another.

Happy New Year to you all and thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all your love and support along the way.
Love,
The Metzgars