Help Shane Kick Cancer
Donation protected
It was 10 years ago that 2 time 100 mile Endurance Athlete and 2 time Boston Qualifier Shane Miles was diagnosed with Tonsil Cancer. At that time though, Shane was neither of those things!
Shane’s life took a drastic turn after surviving that awful disease back in 2008.
One, he never saw coming.
Shane’s journey through tonsil cancer put him square in the path of his now great friend Ed. Ed and Shane were put in contact with one another by a mutual friend as Shane was just coming off his radiation treatments and Ed was soon to begin them. Ed was just diagnosed with the same type of cancer.
Shane and Ed chatted a lot during that time, letting Ed know what to expect from his treatments and watched from the sidelines as Ed completed and healed from the same disease that brought them together.
Shortly after, Shane and Ed co-captained a Relay for Life team, a local chapter on the Outer Banks of NC that raises funds for the American Cancer Society.
During that event, Ed told Shane he was going to walk around the track 26.2 miles as he was going to start training for the Outer Banks Marathon. He wanted to see if he could walk it, first!
Shane laughs remembering his response to Ed that day….
“I can’t run, Ed. I have a bad knee…”
Ed did walk the 26.2 miles that day on the track and went on to run the Outer Banks Marathon the following November.
Shane only knew about two runners and he kept up with them on facebook. He was starting to get inspired. He saw the joy it was bringing them.
So one day he went out and ran a mile.
That mile would forever alter Shane’s life and passion and he had no idea!
Shane began running regularly and started to train for his first marathon, that same marathon his friend Ed ran.
He ran 5k after 5k, he continued to train and he was falling in love with the sport.
The next Relay For Life season, Shane started the Cupcake 5k. A road running event that raised funds for the AMC.
Shane ran his first marathon in 2011 at the age of 40 and one month later ran is first ultra-distance, a 50k.
Shortly after he became president of the local running club and continued race directing his Cupcake 5k, the event now was selling out every year. Everyone who was a part of it, loved it. It was more than just a 5k with the charity as a footnote. Shane put the charity right up front. Runners would come out and run to remember those they lost, celebrate loved ones who beat the disease and support those going through it.
In 2014, Shane opened up a specialty running store with the idea to promote health and fitness in his community! The store was a big hit among runners locally and visitors alike.
Shane was so passionate about his business, he walked away from his well paying corporate job to run his business full time to follow his dreams. Leaving him with no insurance, Shane struggled to keep the dream alive and unfortunately had to close the doors just two years later. And with those doors now closed, the Cupcake 5k had seen it’s final event.
But he never lost the passion for running! He still kept running... eventually running Boston and two 100 milers in 2017 and again 2018. Finishing all 3 with his passion partner Heather right by his side.
Shortly after that 100 miler in September of 2018, Shane began having terrible stomach cramps. They were random so he didn’t think much of it. Late snacks or unagreeable food choices were the culprit. They would subside and he wouldn’t have another for a a few weeks or maybe longer.
It was when they started getting closer and more frequent in December of 2018, along with changes in bowel habits that he finally made a doctors appointment. Even then he admits waiting a little longer than he would have had he had insurance.
With no results from his family physician, he contacted a gastrointestinal specialist and had a colonoscopy scheduled.
That colonoscopy could not be completed.
They found a cancerous tumor in his lower colon and could not get by it with the scope. This was a hard blow for Shane as well as Heather. The cancer came back. This is not what they had hoped was the problem.
Emotions ran high but pulling it together, he had to go back in a few days later. The doctor was skeptic but he wanted to attempt a stent in the colon to help eliminate some of the blockage, the tumor was getting tight and waste was no longer passing through completely.
Laying in the hospital with Heather by his side they awaited the second colonoscopy. Just before they pulled him out to go, the doctor came in and explained his CT Scans that he had over the weekend.
It was more bad news.
“Shane there is evidence of the disease outside the colon as well.” The Doctor said
“It’s in your lungs and liver.”
“Stage 4”
Devastated, Shane relates his road to recovery like that of the journey of a 100 mile race. It’s going to be a long haul. You cannot look at the journey as a whole, it will be too overwhelming. Shane says just like he lived in each mile of that 100 miler, he will take his road to cancer treatments and recovery one day at time. He understands that there will be moments he will fall down. But he tells us that it’s okay to fall down, that it’s in the getting back up we find our strength to keep going. Shane says there were times during the 100 miler where he thought he wouldn't make it, tired, sleep deprived, hungry and beat up…. But he knew that with every step he took, he was one step closer to the finish line. And that was the goal, that was the challenge.
So Shane is looking ahead, he’s ready to move forward, he won’t back down and he’s ready for this challenge, this journey…. Again to fight the good fight and give cancer the beat down it deserves.
But he needs our help. With a seven thousand dollar deductible on the insurance he is carrying now, he cannot afford to pay his medical bills and there may still be some treatments his insurance will not cover.
We’ve seen that Shane has given back to his community over and over again over the years. Let’s stand behind him and give it back in this very hard time of need. Every little bit helps!
Shane’s life took a drastic turn after surviving that awful disease back in 2008.
One, he never saw coming.
Shane’s journey through tonsil cancer put him square in the path of his now great friend Ed. Ed and Shane were put in contact with one another by a mutual friend as Shane was just coming off his radiation treatments and Ed was soon to begin them. Ed was just diagnosed with the same type of cancer.
Shane and Ed chatted a lot during that time, letting Ed know what to expect from his treatments and watched from the sidelines as Ed completed and healed from the same disease that brought them together.
Shortly after, Shane and Ed co-captained a Relay for Life team, a local chapter on the Outer Banks of NC that raises funds for the American Cancer Society.
During that event, Ed told Shane he was going to walk around the track 26.2 miles as he was going to start training for the Outer Banks Marathon. He wanted to see if he could walk it, first!
Shane laughs remembering his response to Ed that day….
“I can’t run, Ed. I have a bad knee…”
Ed did walk the 26.2 miles that day on the track and went on to run the Outer Banks Marathon the following November.
Shane only knew about two runners and he kept up with them on facebook. He was starting to get inspired. He saw the joy it was bringing them.
So one day he went out and ran a mile.
That mile would forever alter Shane’s life and passion and he had no idea!
Shane began running regularly and started to train for his first marathon, that same marathon his friend Ed ran.
He ran 5k after 5k, he continued to train and he was falling in love with the sport.
The next Relay For Life season, Shane started the Cupcake 5k. A road running event that raised funds for the AMC.
Shane ran his first marathon in 2011 at the age of 40 and one month later ran is first ultra-distance, a 50k.
Shortly after he became president of the local running club and continued race directing his Cupcake 5k, the event now was selling out every year. Everyone who was a part of it, loved it. It was more than just a 5k with the charity as a footnote. Shane put the charity right up front. Runners would come out and run to remember those they lost, celebrate loved ones who beat the disease and support those going through it.
In 2014, Shane opened up a specialty running store with the idea to promote health and fitness in his community! The store was a big hit among runners locally and visitors alike.
Shane was so passionate about his business, he walked away from his well paying corporate job to run his business full time to follow his dreams. Leaving him with no insurance, Shane struggled to keep the dream alive and unfortunately had to close the doors just two years later. And with those doors now closed, the Cupcake 5k had seen it’s final event.
But he never lost the passion for running! He still kept running... eventually running Boston and two 100 milers in 2017 and again 2018. Finishing all 3 with his passion partner Heather right by his side.
Shortly after that 100 miler in September of 2018, Shane began having terrible stomach cramps. They were random so he didn’t think much of it. Late snacks or unagreeable food choices were the culprit. They would subside and he wouldn’t have another for a a few weeks or maybe longer.
It was when they started getting closer and more frequent in December of 2018, along with changes in bowel habits that he finally made a doctors appointment. Even then he admits waiting a little longer than he would have had he had insurance.
With no results from his family physician, he contacted a gastrointestinal specialist and had a colonoscopy scheduled.
That colonoscopy could not be completed.
They found a cancerous tumor in his lower colon and could not get by it with the scope. This was a hard blow for Shane as well as Heather. The cancer came back. This is not what they had hoped was the problem.
Emotions ran high but pulling it together, he had to go back in a few days later. The doctor was skeptic but he wanted to attempt a stent in the colon to help eliminate some of the blockage, the tumor was getting tight and waste was no longer passing through completely.
Laying in the hospital with Heather by his side they awaited the second colonoscopy. Just before they pulled him out to go, the doctor came in and explained his CT Scans that he had over the weekend.
It was more bad news.
“Shane there is evidence of the disease outside the colon as well.” The Doctor said
“It’s in your lungs and liver.”
“Stage 4”
Devastated, Shane relates his road to recovery like that of the journey of a 100 mile race. It’s going to be a long haul. You cannot look at the journey as a whole, it will be too overwhelming. Shane says just like he lived in each mile of that 100 miler, he will take his road to cancer treatments and recovery one day at time. He understands that there will be moments he will fall down. But he tells us that it’s okay to fall down, that it’s in the getting back up we find our strength to keep going. Shane says there were times during the 100 miler where he thought he wouldn't make it, tired, sleep deprived, hungry and beat up…. But he knew that with every step he took, he was one step closer to the finish line. And that was the goal, that was the challenge.
So Shane is looking ahead, he’s ready to move forward, he won’t back down and he’s ready for this challenge, this journey…. Again to fight the good fight and give cancer the beat down it deserves.
But he needs our help. With a seven thousand dollar deductible on the insurance he is carrying now, he cannot afford to pay his medical bills and there may still be some treatments his insurance will not cover.
We’ve seen that Shane has given back to his community over and over again over the years. Let’s stand behind him and give it back in this very hard time of need. Every little bit helps!
Organizer and beneficiary
Sharon Greenhill-Frey
Organizer
Goshen, NY
Shane Miles
Beneficiary