Shane’s Future Days is a 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation whose mission is to raise awareness, research funds and assist families battling currently incurable childhood cancers. We are holding our fourth annual Celebration of Life on June 9, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This is a day to raise awareness about childhood cancer and to recognize those children who lost their battle and are currently fighting rare childhood cancers. It is a community event with inflatables, face painting, live music, raffle and silent auction.

Shane’s Future Days was founded by my husband and I in memory of our son Shane Joseph Metzgar. Shane was diagnosed with stage 4 alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma at 8 months old. He fought bravely for one year and two days until he passed away at 19 months old on March 30, 2015. 

This is our fourth year hosting this event. Each year it grows bigger and our reach in our community widens, raising awareness for children and families affected by childhood cancer. In the past three years, our COL has raised $51,000.

Events like this enable our foundation to provide research funds to assist tumor donation, purchase laboratory equipment, as well as funding pediatric preclinical cancer trials. Last year we helped bring a phase I rhabdomyosarcoma clinical trial into a national trial and the results have advanced the study to progress into a phase II. Our son's donated tumor cells were part of this research and it's empowering to continue to help fund research for rare cancers so that other families have hope for a cure. 

It also helps us support local children's hospitals and their palliative care teams who provide the world’s best care to patients with currently incurable childhood cancers. This team includes professionals who go to the homes of children and families diagnosed or those who recently passed to support them through their diagnosis or bereavement. 

Additionally and most importantly, it permits us to expand our footprint, enabling us to provide for families affected by rare childhood cancers with support that they need along their journey. This past year, our foundation was able to support five families in our area this holiday season by purchasing all their holiday gifts. We are also able to donate gift cards, memory gifts and provide household support to families affected by rare childhood cancers.