Man battles cancer but helps others in need
Saturday, August 06, 2011
By Tyler Kolesar Staff Writer
GRASSFLAT - Most people who have cancer just try to survive. It's hard enough battling the vicious disease, let alone going out of your way to help others in need. Shane Michaels is a rarity in this day and age, as he does just that. In June 2008, Michaels was diagnosed with a rare form of Hodgkin's lymphoma called Nodular Lymphocyte Predomin- ant Hodgkin's Lymphoma.
"It's kind of a cross between Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's, and that's the weird part," said Michaels about his rare disease. "Hodgkin's is like 99 percent treatable, as in you never get it back. ... It's (his disease) still treatable, but it has a higher tendency of multiple occurrences." Michaels is currently on his third time of fighting the disease, and finished up another five weeks of radiation a few weeks ago. He said he has had quite a few trips over the years to Hershey Medical Center for clinical trials, as well as Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. For the last radiation treatment, Michaels said he traveled to Hershey each day, Monday through Friday. At Johns Hopkins Hospital, Michaels took an experimental drug called Bexxar. "It's basically chemotherapy and IV radiation at the same time," said Michaels. "They've used it for other non-Hodgkin's patients and they're attempting to use it for Hodgkin's patients." One thing Michaels has been blessed with through his trials is help and support from not only family and friends, but also from complete strangers."The amount of people that's helped me is ridiculous," Michaels said. "There's people that I don't even know, never even seen or heard of them in my life, and they've helped me. And that's just amazing. There are still good people out there." It's this generosity by people that drives Michaels to help others in need. One way he is doing this is by helping run a spaghetti dinner benefiting the Bob Perks Cancer Assistance Fund. Michaels said the fund helps cancer patients in Clearfield, Centre, Huntingdon and Blair counties. All proceeds of a fundraiser benefiting the fund goes toward the patients. "The main thing about the dinner is we're trying to let people know the Bob Perks Fund is out there, and it's another way of helping out local cancer patients," said Michaels. "They have no administration fees, so every penny that goes in goes towards a cancer patient." Michaels said his family members, along with members of the Messiah Baptist Church in Lanse, Community Alliance Chuch in Karthaus, and members of the Grassflat, Winburne and Morris Township fire companies are helping put on the next event. The date is set for Aug. 13 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Grassflat firehall. Michaels said more than 100 people have taken the time to help out with this dinner. Lots of donated time and labor have gone into the dinner. Michaels said the Grassflat Fire Co. is donating the building's use.The two churches are making desserts, and a myriad of people and companies are donating for the Chinese auction.
"There's so many companies that are donating items for the Chinese auction," Michaels said. "And individuals are making hand-made things and quilts and stuff. ... It's pretty amazing how people come together really." Tickets for the dinner are $6 for adults, $3 for kids ages 5-11, and kids younger than 5 eat for free. Tickets are available by presale or at the door. "I know that there's a lot of people that don't get the help that they need," said Michaels. "People help me, but I know there's people that don't get the help they deserve. The Bob Perks Cancer Assistance Fund will help them with this (regular bills/travel costs, etc.)." Michaels also has advice for people going through their own trials and tribulations fighting cancer: keep a positive attitude and have your faith.
"You have to trust that God will get you through it," said Michaels. "Yes I'm going through this, but through the clinical trials, maybe they (doctors) learn something about me that they can use for someone else."
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