Shane is a professor of Kinesiology at California State University Northridge, husband to Dianne, and father of newborn twin boys Max and Miles.

Around December 2011, Shane noticed some red marks on his cheek. After visiting 3 dermatologists, Shane finally got referred to an oncologist that diagnosed him with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). Shane’s case is unusual because the leukemia was only on his skin and hadn’t yet reached his bone marrow. It took months to even diagnose him. We don’t know how Shane developed AML, but it is typically related to chemical exposure.

Shane started his first round of chemotherapy in June 2012. Since Shane’s case is unusual, the doctors are treating him as though he has the most aggressive form of AML. His best chance for a full recovery is a Stem Cell Transplant and we are currently searching for a stem cell donor to help Shane. There were no perfect matches in the donor registry for Shane and we are hoping to find one soon.

Update… Shane did not find a donor match. Instead, he went through 4 rounds of chemotherapy, each one decimated his immune system so intensely that he spent over a month locked in a sterile hospital room as his body recovered. Shane started his first treatment on June 12, 2012 and came home from the hospital after his last treatment on December 6, 2012. The doctors will monitor him regularly from here going forward.