7/29/23

I’m Carrie, and this is the real-life story of a fantastic human who is also an amazing sister.

In 1979 our family welcomed a medical miracle, and marvel rolled into a human with one of the biggest, most compassionate hearts. 

On July 31, 2023, Shannon is going in for a third heart surgery. The doctors have said that they cannot open her again, so this is the last and final surgery that she can have. At five years old, Shannon underwent open heart surgery to fix a valve that formed in the wrong chamber of her heart. This surgery gave her a new healthy life with no sign of ever having issues. She is our medical miracle. 

She went on to join the Vermont National Guard, serving Vermont and this country. For 13 months, while her two beautiful girls were very young, Shannon was deployed overseas to support the global war on terror. She and her fellow brothers sacrificed so much. “All gave some; some gave all” became more than words to our family and Vermont.

As time went on, Shannon began experiencing issues, and after 17 years of service, she made the tough decision to retire as these health issues increased. While the vessel repair done at the age of five was going strong, Shannon’s arteries were not, and at the age 34, she received the first of 14 total stents.

The stents that were meant to be the cure ended up being a band-aid, and in 2016, at 36, she underwent a second heart surgery, a double bypass of the left side of her heart. 

While the left side of her heart works well, the right side is almost in complete failure and needs repair. Shannon met with her cardiology team on July 20, and if it weren’t for a medication that she had to be off for at least ten days, they would have taken her in for surgery that day. 

Shannon’s husband, Doug (who has a big, compassionate heart that rivals hers), will be by her side every step of the way. He was there in 2016 for heart surgery number two and has begun the prep work needed to take care of her after this surgery. 

Caretaking means Doug will be out of work for four to six weeks, depending on the healing progress. With both of them out of work, the income from their jobs ceases; however, the monthly expenses do not. The surgical co-pay, numerous trips to doctor appointments, pre-and post-surgery, and physical needs for her required medical care are accumulating on top of these household expenses. We want to help them meet these financial needs so they don’t have to have added stress. 

Your help, big or small, will mean so much. We can’t thank you enough for your love and support of Shannon and Doug and your assistance as they walk through this health journey. 

The Wright & Greig Families