End Of Era For Cancer Fund

In 2006, after a four-year battle against Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, Doug and Patty Shaw lost their oldest son, Andy, to this horrible cancer.

At 20 years old, when he was diagnosed with stage four Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, he lived life to the fullest during his fight to the end. Andy had repeated rounds of chemo, two stem cells procedures, and other treatments.

Andy’s family started the Andy Shaw Memorial Cancer Fund in 2008 to help local cancer patients with travel expenses. As Patty said, “Insurance doesn’t cover travel, hotels and meals, and we live in a rural area so patients must travel to receive treatment.”

After 17 years of helping almost 100 people with travel expenses, some numerous times, Patty and Doug have made the tough decision to dole out the remaining funds and then conclude the program.

For years, they funded the memorial with an annual softball tournament, but they realized that the immense work it took to organize and put on the softball tourney. As they age, they have decided it is too much for them to tackle.

Initially, they gave recipients $100, but now they present checks of $500 to help with incidental expenses.

With no softball tourney to refill their coffers, the Shaw family would like to encourage people to make the Andy Shaw Memorial Cancer Fund a place to contribute when they lose a loved one. If that happens, they will be able to continue the fund and help local cancer patients.