Let me tell you a little about Shannon.

Shannon is a mother, daughter, sister, aunt, and friend to so many. She is kind, caring, funny, and at times a little ding-batty – in the most lovable way. Her greatest achievements are her two beautiful daughters. As a single mom, she was inspired to go back to school in her 40s to become a respiratory therapist so she could provide for them. She found a career she truly loved in the medical field and worked tirelessly on the front lines during the devastating COVID-19 pandemic. As a respiratory therapist, Shannon cared for the most critical patients, often sacrificing her own health to care for others.

Everything changed after a routine mammogram revealed the “C” word. Already living with rheumatoid arthritis, Shannon was devastated to learn she had Grade 3 HER2-positive breast cancer — an aggressive form of the disease. Due to the size of the tumor, her oncologist required six rounds of chemotherapy over 18 weeks before surgery. In early April 2025, Shannon underwent a double mastectomy. The surgery resulted in a life-threatening complication that forced an emergency second surgery. 

Because chemotherapy took such a toll on her body, she was unable to begin reconstruction at that time. It was also discovered that the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes, meaning radiation and continued chemotherapy were required. Radiation began in June 2025 — five days a week for five weeks. Seeing the scars and burns on her chest, underarms, and back was painful, and it’s hard to imagine the pain she endured. Still, Shannon faced it all with grit, determination, and an unwavering will to beat cancer.

Healing has been slow, made even harder by her rheumatoid arthritis, which amplifies every ailment. Because she cannot receive medication for her rheumatoid arthritis while undergoing chemotherapy, she frequently experiences loss of function in parts of her body, further compounding her suffering.

To this day, Shannon has not been strong enough to undergo reconstructive surgery, though she hopes to begin that journey in the fall. She remains on chemotherapy for the foreseeable future.

Since her diagnosis, Shannon has exhausted her FMLA and short-term disability benefits and is still waiting for a decision on long-term disability. After 15 months of being out of work and pressure to return, she felt trapped between impossible choices: return to work as a respiratory therapist with a severely compromised immune system or lose her livelihood.

Shannon returned to work on December 31st. Surrounded by COVID-19, flu, and TB patients, the stress became overwhelming. Her body, so brittle from cancer treatments and being unable to treat her RA, couldn’t withstand the physical demands. Working three back-to-back 12-hour shifts inflicted an injury, and she is now facing another potential orthopedic surgery.  Her physicians again wrote her out of work for an additional three months. 

Then came another devastating blow. Last week, Shannon was informed that her position as a respiratory therapist had been terminated.

She is now facing cancer treatment with no income, no health insurance, and a wait for a final disability decision, all while being the sole provider for her 14-year-old daughter. 

This is where we come in.

Shannon needs help from friends, family, and her community to cover medical and living expenses during this incredibly difficult time. If the roles were reversed, she would be the first to help someone else.

If you can give, any amount is deeply appreciated. And more than anything, please continue to pray for Shannon’s healing, strength, and peace as she continues this fight.