OPERATION: Help John Get Back In The Game

Do you know John? If you do, you know he's a talker. John will talk to you if you're sitting next to him on the airplane, at the park with the grandkids, at the bar waiting for your table, and at church when mass is over. And, no doubt, John will make a connection. He will find a cause for your bounty, a receiver for your gifts, and a helper for your need.

John has nurtured a relationship network of individuals, religious groups of all faiths, organizations, film & entertainment industry, NGOs, armed forces and diplomats around the world going back to before his first humanitarian endeavor in 1982. Many of you know John through his prior Navy service as an Airman. He says that was three lifetimes ago. However, in the past 10 years his connection within the special operations community has accounted for the release of several service members that were wrongly incarcerated. The positive outcome of any of his projects depends on this very network. John lives the 3 Ts: Time, Talent, and Treasure. John's talent is introducing relevant people to a particular organization to assemble a team for a specific purpose ending with a positive outcome. John can not survive without a cause greater than himself. He will stay involved, always.

John has the time for the never-ending humanitarian world because he has been self-employed for over 30 years. The decision of self-employment comes with risk. We've met these risks, head-on, throughout our 32-year marriage. John has been diagnosed with throat and neck cancer just three weeks ago. In the past, with John's complicated health history, I've been organizer, driver, scheduler . . . Well, I've gotten myself in a pickle. In the past month, I've broken my humerus, fibula, and metatarsal bones. I am not lifting, walking, or driving for the most crucial time of John's surgery, radiation, and recovery. I will be restricted to another six weeks in a wheelchair. He became unusually tired while juggling my care, his business, our family and his passion for jumping in with both feet on complex local, regional and international issues. John like always advocates, he insisted on being seen immediately by the Mayo Clinic for what he believed was a serious ailment. His instincts were correct. He has a form of cancer found in non-smoking males his age. John has refused compensation for all humanitarian projects, as it is a calling. At this crucial time, his diagnosis has caught us off guard financially. With John being self-employed and my employer denying my return to work, we have a tough road ahead. Our family is strong, however, we realize to heal, we will require some assistance. There are many moving parts to John's life and many people rely on his efforts. At the request of our network of friends and colleagues, we have been asked to create a platform for contributions. The contributions will be used for the loss of income, mounting medical expenses, alternative treatment options and unforeseen circumstances until he's able to get back in the game. Attached is a link to some recent efforts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81DLNrGIYXM

https://news.yahoo.com/american-prisoner-released-in-haiti.html?ref=gs&nf=1 https://wgnradio.com/anna-davlantes/member-of-ex-military-humanitarian-effort-john-shattuck-joins-anna-davlantes-to-talk-about-the-kabul-airport-explosion https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAPf5zqX4Oc https://www.icloud.com/photos/#0b5cFO8QPHOVpIl6QPlIsxmFQ

We will update this page as our medical journey unfolds.

Please feel free to share a story you may have had with John in his endeavors.

Our faith and family are built of brick and mortar. This will not blow us down. Thank you for getting to know a bit about us.

Gratefully,

Toni Shattuck