Mike Shane Memorial Fund

05/25/2026

Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial Summer kick off filled with BBQs, picnics at the lake, and time with loved ones. As we enjoy the holiday with friends and family let’s remember the reason for Memorial Day and honor the memory of those who gave their all for our country. Wishing you a safe and fun Memorial Day with your family. ❤️🤍💙

04/29/2026

7 years ago we lost our friend Mike Shane after a hard fought battle with Cholangiocarcinoma. In his honor to remember his spirit of great generosity the Mike Shane Fund was created to help others who are battling Cholangiocarcinoma receive access to remote second opinions. Those who knew Mike Shane often speak of his generosity and kindness. As we remember him today, I want to share an excerpt from his blog where he would often write notes to share his Cholangiocarcinoma journey as a way to spread awareness and help others:

“After dinner, one of my fellow Cholangiocarcinoma patients, Jack, dropped by our hotel for a quick visit. We met on Facebook, then at the Cholangiocarcinoma conference. He’s in town for three weeks of radiation. He knew I had a long day, and we spent some time just talking from a point of view that only those of us dealing with this crazy disease can relate to. We talked about how hard it is to adjust to a new normal, when that ‘new normal’ is so far from the normal we once knew just a short time ago. The wear and tear and the toll that it takes on our families, and how difficult it is for our caring friends and family to grasp the magnitude of what we are going through. It was a great opening of our hearts and souls to one another and came at a great time for both of us. Thank you Jack!" - Mike Shane

Even in the midst of everything he was going through with visits to MD Anderson for scans and treatment he managed to do it with a gracious heart. He was gracious for the care he was getting and gracious for the people he met on his journey. Mike was focused on his family and how to help others to the very end. I do not know Jack or how to reach him or his family, but I do want to share a picture of Mike and Jack here from this encounter that was posted on his blog.

Please remember Mike today and remember his gracious spirit, positive attitude, and his desire to help others however he could. If you feel like making a donation in his honor, you can do so at https://www.mikeshanefund.org/support-us Or to other organizations like The Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation that Mike mentions in this post, Craine's Cholangiocarcinoma Crew who focuses Cholangiocarcinoma research, or the TargetCancer Foundation focused on clinical trials for rare cancers like Cholangiocarcinoma. If you would like to review other posts from Mike's Blog you can go to https://mikeshaneblog.com/



With Grace,

Your Friends at The Mike Memorial Shane Fund

04/19/2026

Please check out this week's CNBC Cures Newsletter featuring our very own board member Lisa Salem Craine and our friend Melinda Bachini from the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation. Here is the excerpt and the link is below:

When Lisa Craine was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma, a rare, aggressive cancer that forms in the bile ducts, there weren't many treatment options available. Doctors gave Lisa 6 months to live.

But 15 years, 8 tumors, and multiple liver resections later, Lisa is still here.

She wrote to Cures to tell us about how her experience has changed her.

Here's what Lisa told us:

Everything I have been through has made me a better, stronger and more relatable advocate and mentor for others patients.

Having experienced many types of chemotherapy, radiation and surgeries along with all the side effects and possible issues, I am more relatable to the community I serve.

My story gives other rare cancer patients HOPE. I was given six months to live in 2010 and if I would have listened to that timeline, I would have given up hope and probably wouldn’t be here today.

I turned my cancer into a passion to help others by being a volunteer mentor, patient advocate and research advocate. I have now helped over 1300 patients.

I have also started our own 501c3 and we raise research money to be granted to promising research each year. I love people and I love my life. It is so much more rich and fulfilling than my pre-cancer days.

Lisa went on to tell us about a strong friendship that developed through a shared experience:

When I was first diagnosed, I read anything I could find about this rare cancer. I found an article in the New York Times about a woman from Montana who was also a cholangiocarcinoma patient. She was participating in a trial at NIH...and was the first cholangiocarcinoma patient to receive T- cell therapy.

I wrote the editor and asked him if he would give my name and number to the patient in Montana and he connected us. We have been friends for 15 years!

We do a lot of advocacy work together, and she is now the Advocacy Director at Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation.

This ugly cancer cultivated a beautiful friendship and a call to action for both of us to improve the lives of cholangiocarcinoma patients, one patient at a time.

Thanks for sharing your story with us, Lisa.

More on Lisa's nonprofit can be found by clicking here.

We've included a picture of Lisa and her friend, Melinda Bachini, below.

And some potentially encouraging news on the cholangiocarcinoma front: this week Partner Therapeutics submitted a supplemental Biologics License Application the FDA for a new treatment for the disease.
https://www.crainescancercure.org/...

Craine's Cholangiocarcinoma Crew
Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation
TargetCancer Foundation



link below

https://link.cnbc.com/public/45256145

04/02/2026

The Azaleas are currently blooming in Augusta where The Masters will begin next week. For many golfers that means Spring is officially here and golf is on our minds. At the Mike Shane Fund we are thinking about our charity golf event and are very excited to invite you to our 5th annual Mike Shane Memorial Fund Dinner and Golf outing! This year's charity event will be held on September 27th and 28th 2026 at the Dayton Country Club in Dayton, OH. The Dinner will be on Sunday the 27th with more details to come later. Our golf event will be on Monday September 28th at the Dayton Country Club.

Please mark the dates down on your calendars and plan to spend an exciting two days with us having dinner, golfing, networking, remembering Mike, raising a glass with friends, and raising funds for a great cause. More details to come!

thank you,

The Mike Shane Memorial Fund

02/19/2026

Today is World Cholangiocarcinoma Day. In honor of I would like to share this wonderful speech from our very own board member Lisa Craine. Please listen to Lisa's story of her diagnosis, why a second opinion is so important, and why Lisa is such a tireless advocate for Cholangiocarcinoma patients and Cholangiocarcinoma research. Please follow her page Craine's Cholangiocarcinoma Crew to learn more about what they do. Please also follow our friends at the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation to learn more about Cholangiocarcinoma and how you can help spread awareness during World Cholangiocarcinoma Day and CCA Month. Thank you so much for your support!!!

Craine's Crew Founder and Mike Shane Memorial Fund board member Lisa Craine shares her personal Cholangiocarcinoma story to the Mike Shane Memorial Fund. Thi...

02/18/2026

Cholangiocarcinoma is classified as a rare cancer. Have you ever wondered what qualifies as a rare cancer? A rare cancer is classified as any cancer that affects fewer than 40,000 people per year in the United States (NCI). Cholangiocarcinoma is considered a rare cancer since only 8,000 people are diagnosed with Cholangiocarcinoma in the United States every year.

Rare cancers can be more difficult to treat for a variety of reasons. Research and treatment can be limited. They are often diagnosed late or misdiagnosed due to the rarity of the condition. It can also be hard to find the right expertise for rare cancers or finding access to those experts. At the Mike Shane Memorial Fund we are proud to have partnered with Cholangiocarcinoma experts at 5 leading cancer institutions to provide remote second opinion grants for qualified applicants.

Please help us spread the word about Cholangiocarcinoma for world Cholangiocarcinoma awareness month. If you would like to learn more about the Mike Shane Memorial Fund and how you can help please visit our website at https://www.mikeshanefund.org/

Thank you,

Your Friends at the Mike Shane Memorial Fund

https://www.cancer.gov/pediatric-adult-rare-tumor/rare-tumors/about-rare-cancers
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/bile-duct-cancer/about/key-statistics.html

02/17/2026

February is World Cholangiocarcinoma Awareness month. Landmarks all across the world are being lit green for Cholangiocarcinoma awareness. While Cholangiocarcinoma is a rare cancer, it is also the second most common primary liver cancer in the world. Since Cholangiocarcinoma is a very aggressive form of cancer often diagnosed late, it can be difficult to treat. In general, the incidence and mortality rates of Cholangiocarcinoma appear to be increasing across all age groups, including younger people. Please help us spread awareness of this aggressive form of liver cancer and how The Mike Shane Memorial Fund can help with a second opinion grant.

To learn more about Cholangiocarcinoma and CCA awareness, please visit the links below. If you would like to learn about how you can apply for a second opinion grant from the Mike Shane Memorial Fund please visit our website https://www.mikeshanefund.org/ . The Mike Shane Memorial Fund is a 501(c) (3) charity. Every donation helps provide remote written second opinions to patients in need. If you would like to support the Mike Shane Memorial Fund please visit our website https://www.mikeshanefund.org/

https://www.cholangiocarcinoma.org/awareness-month/
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cholangiocarcinoma/symptoms-causes/syc-20352408

12/25/2025

Happy Holidays! We want to wish you and your loved ones a blessed day and a wonderful holiday season 💚❤️💚❤️

12/11/2025

Hello friends of the Mike Shane Memorial Fund! We are looking to connect with individuals or their friends, families, and co-workers who have been the beneficiary of a Mike Shane Memorial Fund grant. Or if you have a second opinion story from outside of the MSMF you would like to share please contact us via Facebook or through email at [email protected]. We would like to highlight the power of a second opinion and hear how a second opinion made an impact in your life to share that impact with others. Thanks again for your support! We look forward to hearing from you!💚

12/02/2025

Attached is a quote from a grant recipient which is great a reminder of how important our mission is and why we offer this service. Please consider us today on to help individuals like this with the power of a remote second opinion grant. Please consider giving to the Mike Shane Memorial Fund today as a part of your Giving Tuesday contributions. Thank you for your support!

- Your Friends at the Mike Shane Memorial Fund

12/02/2025

Today is GivingTuesday, the biggest charitable giving day of the year. Throughout GivingTuesday, you can support The Mike Shane Memorial Fund as we continue our mission to provide free remote online second opinion grants for individuals with Cholangiocarcinoma. Not everyone has access to a Cholangiocarcinoma expert or the ability to travel for an appointment to meet with one. A remote second opinion can be a life changing opportunity for families that need one. Unfortunately, not everyone can afford a remote second opinion and they are often not covered by health insurance. At the Mike Shane Memorial Fund we believe everyone deserves a second opinion and we want to continue that important mission.

As the cost of healthcare continues to rise so does the cost of remote second opinions which makes our mission more difficult. Currently each remote second opinion we provide can cost as much as $2700. Please consider making The Mike Shane Memorial Fund a part of your giving today and help provide a remote second opinion to a family battling Cholangiocarcinoma. To donate all you need to do is click or tap the link below.

https://www.mikeshanefund.org/support-us

or you can donate on our OneCause Page at

https://my.onecause.com/event/organizations/a18e61a3-7ba7-4929-84c5-b4dad7c768fb/events/vevt:de4d14d4-3f25-40a7-ae51-c4ffa26fde32/give/donate

Please consider sharing with friends or family and consider making us a part of your giving Tuesday contributions today.

Thank you!

- Your Friends at the Mike Shane Memorial Fund

https://www.mikeshanefund.org/support-us