03/30/2026
Eleven years ago today we lost Shane.
Friday night, his big brother stood on the Abing-THON stage and told his story.
Chase and Ella have been attending AbingTHON since 2015, when Shane was still with us. Over the years we’ve watched Chase grow through the program — from a freshman participant, to captain, to chair, and this year one of the Overalls helping lead the entire event.
This year was also Ella’s first AbingTHON as a freshman. Many of her classmates know pieces of our story, but for some it was the first time they truly understood everything she’s grown up with. She was also the lead fundraiser for the freshman class, which made us incredibly proud.
The Overalls introduced themselves, Chase invited us up to the stage so we could share Shane’s story.
But not this year.
This year he kept the microphone.
As an Overall, he said it was time for him to tell the story himself — his version, as Shane’s brother.
He started with a poem he wrote in third grade. The last line was:
“Blue is how I felt about my brother having cancer.”
At eight years old, he didn’t know how to talk about grief, so he gave it a color.
From there he shared memories of Shane — hospital rooms, IV lines, the beeping of machines becoming normal. He talked about how soccer became the place where life felt steady again.
Then he told the story of one of his last memories with Shane.
During a soccer game, Chase got hurt and was sitting on the sideline frustrated. Shane, who could barely walk at that point, made his way over to him, patted him on the shoulder, and pointed back to the field.
His way of saying, “Get back in there.”
Five days later, Shane passed away. Chase was seven.
Watching Chase stand on that stage and tell that story in front of his peers was something Paul and I will never forget. He spoke with so much composure and honesty. We were completely in awe of him.
Seeing both Chase and Ella up there — honoring their brother in their own ways — was one of those moments that just stops you in your tracks as a parent. Ella has grown up hearing Shane’s story her whole life, and watching her stand there beside Chase last night felt really special.
Watching Chase speak, we kept thinking about how Shane would have loved it — a gym full of kids, music, laughter, and people coming together to help other children fighting cancer.
It felt like Shane was there too.
His life was so short, but moments like this remind us that his impact is still growing through the people who carry his story forward.
We also want to say a special thank you to Chase’s friends who were there last night. Many of them came over to talk with us and watching his friends support him like that meant more than they probably realize.
We are also incredibly grateful to the people who make AbingTHON possible each year. Thank you to Mrs. Karcher and Mr. MacNair for the time, care, and dedication you put into this event and these students. And thank you to Sharon, Laura, and Lainey from Kisses for Kyle and Jen Burke from Sara’s Smiles for being there and continuing their work for childhood cancer and families affected.
Through Chase.
Through Ella.
Through this incredible community of students who continue to show up for kids fighting pediatric cancer.
We are so grateful for AbingTHON and everyone who supports Shane’s Future Days and the mission to give kids with cancer what every child deserves:
More future days. 💛
Thank you for continuing to carry Shane’s story forward with us.
