November 22, 2023 • 8 mins
Shannon Lewis’ story is one that broke our hearts. Losing her husband and best friend Jack to a rare form of brain and spine cancer, now her and her two beautiful kids are left without him. We reached out to Shannon to let her know we’ve got her back.
Donate to Shannon’s family here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/love-for-the-lewis
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Sitsy and with her with Kate Richie Podcast. Okay, so
we have got a special guest today that we're about
to call who's had a pretty tough time. In twenty
twenty one. Unfortunately, her husband, Shannon, was working on a roof.
He had a bit of a fall off the roof
and blanked out. He didn't know why, injured himself, but
he went to a neurologist that found a tumor on
(00:21):
his spine. Unfortunately, that tumor got worse and worse. He
was put into a coma and unfortunately for Shannon, she
lost her husband six weeks ago. Jack, this is a
pretty fun story.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
And they have two small children, five and three.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
Yeah, Freddy and Goldie who were left without a dad.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
We're going to give Shannon a call now just to
say that we've got her back. Let's give her a call. Shannon,
you got us, Yes, I do. Hi, Hi, Shannon, Shan,
You've had a pretty rough time, and it all started
back in a couple of years ago in twenty twenty one,
when your husband unfortunately fell off a roof and had
(01:05):
a bit of an episode and you went to a
neurologist and got some bad news.
Speaker 4 (01:10):
Yes, that's correct. Yeah, so kind of over two and
a half years ago when this kind of all started.
You know, you you never can prepare yourself to think
that it's going to be that sort of news. We
just thought that it was just obviously something to do
with nerve damage, but unfortunately that, yeah, that wasn't the case,
(01:33):
and then our whole world just completely just shattered.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
What has happened? And I'm unfolded with that diagnosis since
twenty twenty one.
Speaker 4 (01:43):
Yeah, so obviously when we went and saw a neurosurgeon,
they obviously wanted to do some more tests, and that's
when they did find a humor. As soon as you
hear the word humor that you think the worst. And
I asked if you know it was cancerous, and new
resurgeron at the time said, no, you know, it's benign.
(02:03):
Most of these cases they see ninety nine point nine
percent nine, So that really kind of put us at ease,
and that obviously Jack would still need surgery because being
on the spinal cord. But obviously after the surgery, we
thought it all went well. Probably about six days after
(02:23):
the surgery and bringing Jack home, that's when his health
just completely deteriorated and I've never seen him so sick,
and that's when obviously they had to kind of do
further tests and then you know, was confirmed that Jack
had stage four spinal cord glamour, which was a really
nasty cancer. But my husband, being you know, stoic that
(02:48):
is and just having such you know, a strong will,
was like, no, I'm not going to let this beat me,
you know, throw everything at me. Because we had a
little baby girl I hadn't even turned one, and our
little boy, he was two and a half. So so
it was our whole world just got completely turned upside down.
Jack was put into an induced coma at the beginning
and we didn't even think he was going to make
(03:09):
it through that. So it's been really hard.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
How long has it been since he passed?
Speaker 4 (03:14):
Shannon six weeks to the day, So yeah, very fresh,
very raw.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
What are your emotions, mate? Do you get angry? Do
you what has it been? What has it been? Because
now as well financially as well, Jack was obviously a
trade and doing really well for himself, but that's gone.
So you've had to sell the business. He built the
family home as well, So what have you had to do?
With stuff like that as well.
Speaker 4 (03:38):
Our whole you know, dynamic was that Jack was the
breadwinner for our family, and you know, from having a
surgery and him getting so sick, you know, our financial
situation was then a dire one because I couldn't work.
I then became a full time care for my husband,
WHILESO looking after our two little kids, and you know,
with bills and a mortgage and obviously all the financial side.
(03:59):
Jack looked out at all of that. So it was
a very hard die situation when you're trying to just
make it through day by day with someone who was
so sick and not knowing if he was going to
make it to then having to deal you know, with
all that financial side. I think I just would you know,
I don't even know how I survived it, to be honest,
it was a really, really scary time.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
Shannon. Can I ask, and obviously this will be emotional
to answer the question, how do you handle the questions
from Freddie and Goldie, your two kids five and three?
Speaker 4 (04:33):
That is I think when we got told that there
was nothing more that they could do, I then had
to obviously, you know, have those big conversations with them,
with letting them know that Daddy is going to die
and he won't be coming home, and they still ask.
You know, my daughter Goldie, who's only three, still asks
(04:55):
me every night, you know, why can't Daddy be here?
My count Daddy say good night. It's just absolutely heartbreaking.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
Do you know how you do it?
Speaker 3 (05:09):
Jim, don't know how you do it? You are a trooper,
You're extraordinary.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
I can I ask you? Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry.
If you're happy to talk to us out, how are
you doing?
Speaker 4 (05:25):
Love? It's hard because you know, Jack was like the
love of my life, my soulmate, and you have all
these like future dreams and plans together, and you know,
even though someone when you get told you know of
like the diagnosis and it being terminal, like nothing can
(05:47):
prepare you for the day to actually for them to go,
because all you want is time and some days to
even just wake up and to go, Okay, how am
I going to get through today? How am I going
to survive this? But also be you know, a parent
would be a good one at that.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
He sounded like an amazing man, and obviously you celebrate
his life because you know, you in a situation like this.
I know how everything is falling down around you, but
you're an extremely brave woman, Shannon, and you've by the
sounds of it, you've got an amazing family around you,
a support base.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Are really lucky your boss.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
Vita as well. With Vita was the one that got
in contact with that.
Speaker 4 (06:34):
I know she's amazing.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
Were he to tell you that we've got your back
as well. We've only just met you today, but your
story has really, really really touched us, and we just
want to tell you that because you've had to pack
up everything, You've had to sell the home, Jack's business, everything,
all the treatments that he went through his funeral, and
you still provide for your family. We're going to give
you ten thousand dollars to help with the burden during
this time. And we want to take Christmas off your
(07:02):
hands as well and help out the kids. So we're
going to get the kids bikes, scooters, boogie boards, toys
and which games. So there's your Christmas present, Sorded. You
can focus on the family and you can have a
Christmas remembering Dad and your beautiful husband.
Speaker 4 (07:23):
Oh my god, I can't like thank you enough for
that is just so I just I just so generous
and I'm so honestly like they're so grateful that it's
just so kind. I'm like blown away by just you know,
the generosity of just you know, strangers and just people
you know, just who want to help.
Speaker 5 (07:41):
And yeah, yeah, it doesn't kind of fix everything, of course,
and the road ahead is going to be long, but
I'm sure one of Jack's concerns was what was going
to happen when he wasn't there, And I'm sure he
had great faith in you being strong and amazing.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
But if we can just do a tiny little bit
to take off a little bit of that load and
heading to Christmas with a little less pressure, we hope
we're doing the right thing by him too.
Speaker 4 (08:07):
No, thank you, he would just be if he was here,
he would be so grateful and thankful.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
Well, you appreciate your time so much, and thank you
so much for sharing your story. I know it would
be so hard for you to do that, but thank
you for sharing that today.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
And yeah, you've been so honest.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
Have a lovely Christmas with the kids, Shannon, Thank you
so much.
Speaker 4 (08:27):
Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
No, they're lucky to have you, those kids, Shannon, you
look after yourself. I will thank you, thank you too.
Speaker 4 (08:35):
Bye guys, Gay, Vitzy and Whipper with Kate Richie is
a Nova podcast.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
For more great comedy shows
Speaker 4 (08:41):
Like this, head to novapodcast dot com, dot au
Sitsy and with her with Kate Richie Podcast. Okay, so
we have got a special guest today that we're about
to call who's had a pretty tough time. In twenty
twenty one. Unfortunately, her husband, Shannon, was working on a roof.
He had a bit of a fall off the roof
and blanked out. He didn't know why, injured himself, but
he went to a neurologist that found a tumor on
(00:21):
his spine. Unfortunately, that tumor got worse and worse. He
was put into a coma and unfortunately for Shannon, she
lost her husband six weeks ago. Jack, this is a
pretty fun story.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
And they have two small children, five and three.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
Yeah, Freddy and Goldie who were left without a dad.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
We're going to give Shannon a call now just to
say that we've got her back. Let's give her a call. Shannon,
you got us, Yes, I do. Hi, Hi, Shannon, Shan,
You've had a pretty rough time, and it all started
back in a couple of years ago in twenty twenty one,
when your husband unfortunately fell off a roof and had
(01:05):
a bit of an episode and you went to a
neurologist and got some bad news.
Speaker 4 (01:10):
Yes, that's correct. Yeah, so kind of over two and
a half years ago when this kind of all started.
You know, you you never can prepare yourself to think
that it's going to be that sort of news. We
just thought that it was just obviously something to do
with nerve damage, but unfortunately that, yeah, that wasn't the case,
(01:33):
and then our whole world just completely just shattered.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
What has happened? And I'm unfolded with that diagnosis since
twenty twenty one.
Speaker 4 (01:43):
Yeah, so obviously when we went and saw a neurosurgeon,
they obviously wanted to do some more tests, and that's
when they did find a humor. As soon as you
hear the word humor that you think the worst. And
I asked if you know it was cancerous, and new
resurgeron at the time said, no, you know, it's benign.
(02:03):
Most of these cases they see ninety nine point nine
percent nine, So that really kind of put us at ease,
and that obviously Jack would still need surgery because being
on the spinal cord. But obviously after the surgery, we
thought it all went well. Probably about six days after
(02:23):
the surgery and bringing Jack home, that's when his health
just completely deteriorated and I've never seen him so sick,
and that's when obviously they had to kind of do
further tests and then you know, was confirmed that Jack
had stage four spinal cord glamour, which was a really
nasty cancer. But my husband, being you know, stoic that
(02:48):
is and just having such you know, a strong will,
was like, no, I'm not going to let this beat me,
you know, throw everything at me. Because we had a
little baby girl I hadn't even turned one, and our
little boy, he was two and a half. So so
it was our whole world just got completely turned upside down.
Jack was put into an induced coma at the beginning
and we didn't even think he was going to make
(03:09):
it through that. So it's been really hard.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
How long has it been since he passed?
Speaker 4 (03:14):
Shannon six weeks to the day, So yeah, very fresh,
very raw.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
What are your emotions, mate? Do you get angry? Do
you what has it been? What has it been? Because
now as well financially as well, Jack was obviously a
trade and doing really well for himself, but that's gone.
So you've had to sell the business. He built the
family home as well, So what have you had to do?
With stuff like that as well.
Speaker 4 (03:38):
Our whole you know, dynamic was that Jack was the
breadwinner for our family, and you know, from having a
surgery and him getting so sick, you know, our financial
situation was then a dire one because I couldn't work.
I then became a full time care for my husband,
WHILESO looking after our two little kids, and you know,
with bills and a mortgage and obviously all the financial side.
(03:59):
Jack looked out at all of that. So it was
a very hard die situation when you're trying to just
make it through day by day with someone who was
so sick and not knowing if he was going to
make it to then having to deal you know, with
all that financial side. I think I just would you know,
I don't even know how I survived it, to be honest,
it was a really, really scary time.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
Shannon. Can I ask, and obviously this will be emotional
to answer the question, how do you handle the questions
from Freddie and Goldie, your two kids five and three?
Speaker 4 (04:33):
That is I think when we got told that there
was nothing more that they could do, I then had
to obviously, you know, have those big conversations with them,
with letting them know that Daddy is going to die
and he won't be coming home, and they still ask.
You know, my daughter Goldie, who's only three, still asks
(04:55):
me every night, you know, why can't Daddy be here?
My count Daddy say good night. It's just absolutely heartbreaking.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
Do you know how you do it?
Speaker 3 (05:09):
Jim, don't know how you do it? You are a trooper,
You're extraordinary.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
I can I ask you? Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry.
If you're happy to talk to us out, how are
you doing?
Speaker 4 (05:25):
Love? It's hard because you know, Jack was like the
love of my life, my soulmate, and you have all
these like future dreams and plans together, and you know,
even though someone when you get told you know of
like the diagnosis and it being terminal, like nothing can
(05:47):
prepare you for the day to actually for them to go,
because all you want is time and some days to
even just wake up and to go, Okay, how am
I going to get through today? How am I going
to survive this? But also be you know, a parent
would be a good one at that.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
He sounded like an amazing man, and obviously you celebrate
his life because you know, you in a situation like this.
I know how everything is falling down around you, but
you're an extremely brave woman, Shannon, and you've by the
sounds of it, you've got an amazing family around you,
a support base.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Are really lucky your boss.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
Vita as well. With Vita was the one that got
in contact with that.
Speaker 4 (06:34):
I know she's amazing.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
Were he to tell you that we've got your back
as well. We've only just met you today, but your
story has really, really really touched us, and we just
want to tell you that because you've had to pack
up everything, You've had to sell the home, Jack's business, everything,
all the treatments that he went through his funeral, and
you still provide for your family. We're going to give
you ten thousand dollars to help with the burden during
this time. And we want to take Christmas off your
(07:02):
hands as well and help out the kids. So we're
going to get the kids bikes, scooters, boogie boards, toys
and which games. So there's your Christmas present, Sorded. You
can focus on the family and you can have a
Christmas remembering Dad and your beautiful husband.
Speaker 4 (07:23):
Oh my god, I can't like thank you enough for
that is just so I just I just so generous
and I'm so honestly like they're so grateful that it's
just so kind. I'm like blown away by just you know,
the generosity of just you know, strangers and just people
you know, just who want to help.
Speaker 5 (07:41):
And yeah, yeah, it doesn't kind of fix everything, of course,
and the road ahead is going to be long, but
I'm sure one of Jack's concerns was what was going
to happen when he wasn't there, And I'm sure he
had great faith in you being strong and amazing.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
But if we can just do a tiny little bit
to take off a little bit of that load and
heading to Christmas with a little less pressure, we hope
we're doing the right thing by him too.
Speaker 4 (08:07):
No, thank you, he would just be if he was here,
he would be so grateful and thankful.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
Well, you appreciate your time so much, and thank you
so much for sharing your story. I know it would
be so hard for you to do that, but thank
you for sharing that today.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
And yeah, you've been so honest.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
Have a lovely Christmas with the kids, Shannon, Thank you
so much.
Speaker 4 (08:27):
Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
No, they're lucky to have you, those kids, Shannon, you
look after yourself. I will thank you, thank you too.
Speaker 4 (08:35):
Bye guys, Gay, Vitzy and Whipper with Kate Richie is
a Nova podcast.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
For more great comedy shows
Speaker 4 (08:41):
Like this, head to novapodcast dot com, dot au
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