“So how do you feel about this being your last year Shaney?” Ms. Trent spoke as if Shaney didn’t have another year left to go in high school.


“Well it’s not my senior year yet Ms. Trent; I have three more months to go and then I will finally be done.”


Shaney’s guidance counselor was always concerned about her, and has been since her freshman year of high school. She stuck to her more than she has done with any other student. She could never figure out why maybe it’s because she reminded her so much of herself. The ambition she once had was now gone and all of her hopes and dreams were now either accomplished or failed.


Shaney was a 17-year old high school student with her eyes set on her future. She wanted to major in criminal justice but didn’t exactly what she wanted her career to be. Everyone in her school believed that Shaney would be the one to go on from high school and make something of herself. All of the people in her neighborhood thought that she would be the one to grow up successful and be better than the ones that were still there. Her neighborhood consisted of drugs gangs and violence, but unlike the others she did not get involved in it. Yes, Shaney did go outside and hang with them every now and then but she would never allow them to pull her into their corrupt ways.


Mrs. Leah Shaney’s mom was on her way from work when she called Shaney to remind her about her doctor’s appointment scheduled for five o’clock that evening.


“Hello? Hello, mom are you there I can’t hear you that well the wind is blowing into your receiver.” Shaney shouted but still her mother did not hear her and continued talking.


“Yeah, Shaney don’t forget your doctor’s appointment today at five. You had better not be late again? Money doesn’t grow on trees you know? Hello? Hello? Hello Shaney are you there? Are you even listening to me girl?” Shaney could hardly hear her mother all she could hear was her saying something about doctors growing on trees and that she had better not forget her money. Without hesitation she hung up on her mother but only to immediately call her back. This time when she picked up the phone Shaney told her mom to roll up the window. Now that she could hear her mom she could now understand what she was saying. Mrs. Leah wasn’t saying anything about doctors growing on trees or not forgetting her money she was reminding her not to forget her doctor’s appointment.


About three months ago Shaney had a physical done at her doctor’s office, and had every test ran on herself that she could think of. She had scheduled the appointment because for the past couple of month she had not been feeling very well. At first Shaney passed it off to be a slight cold but as time went on each symptom got worse. First there was a little cough then she would break out into sweats, and would sometimes get severe headaches. Her symptoms went unnoticed by her parents until one day Shaney’s mother had come home early from work to catch Shaney balled up on the floor in the corner of her bathroom sweating profusely.


“Oh my gosh Shaney what is wrong?” He mother asked rushing over to her side.


“It’s nothing mom I just, I just get like this sometimes.” Shaney could hardly get her words right.


“Sometimes? What do you mean sometimes? How? What? Huh? Shaney I don’t understand…” At that moment Mrs. Leah threw a blanket around Shaney and took her to the emergency room.


The doctors examined Shaney and cane to the conclusion that she had cancer. They discovered that she had it for a while now but could not figure out how it came about. Shaney’s mother and father were devastated but could understand that it was a family trait and that unfortunately Shaney was the one who inherited it. Shaney was not surprised at the type of cancer she had inherited because other members of her family had died from it before. She was determined to beat this thing one way or another.


As time went on Shaney began to undergo treatment for her cancer, she had been to every group help session that she could think of in the state of North Carolina. Her friends were very supportive of her as she went through the process of curing her illness. They were determined not to allow her to let herself or anyone else to get her down or put her down. They embraced the fact that Shaney had cancer and were with her throughout the whole time she was fighting it.


Shaney believed that her having cancer had been an actual blessing and that it was given to her for a reason. She believed that if she could spread the word about cancer that people and even kids her own age could have a better understanding of what cancer is, how you can treat what are some other types of it, and who can get it. She started in the home first with her own mother and father. Although her mother and father knew what cancer they never had to experience it first hand or need to know other facts about it because they never had the need to other than when both of their mothers had it. Even then Mr. and Mrs. Jones did not know all the facts there was to understanding cancer or better yet people with cancer. Shaney told her parents about the type of cancer she had which was Leukemia. She told them that Leukemia was a cancer that starts in her bone marrow and causes large numbers of blood cells to be produced and enter the bloodstream. After hearing the facts and more about the disease they were a little more comfortable with it and then knew how to deal with it better.


At no moment did Shaney let her disease bring her down. She continued her education and had passed on to the twelfth grade. She strived to do greater each day regardless of her condition. Her academics were outstanding and she was almost finished with her senior.
She was well into her senior year when she found out that she would be graduating at the op of her class and would be getting a full ride to Princeton. It wasn’t up until the end of the year when she also found out that she was cured of all of her cancer.


June 6th 2008 was the day of Shaney’s graduation and she had two days to get all of her stuff together. Her parents were so overjoyed with her success that they decided to give Shaney her graduation present early. Shaney had came home from school one day with nothing to do as usual because it was the end of the year and teachers were no longer assigning homework to their students. She began to clean her room and different parts of the house when her mother had gotten home. It wasn’t until her mother had started cooking dinner and her father was at the kitchen table reading the newspaper when they had asked her to run to the store for some milk. Shaney immediately agreed and reached for her mother’s car keys when she was stopped in her tracks.


“What are you reaching for my key for Shaney?” Shaney’s mother asked with her hand on her hip pretending to have an attitude.


Shaney replied “because mom you asked me to go to the store for you.”


“That doesn’t you have to take mine or your dads car.” Ms. Leah said. She was really into character now.


“Well whose car do I take? Do you want me to walk or something?” By this time Shaney was so confused she didn’t know what to think.


“No I don’t sweetheart. You see those keys over there on that end hook with the elephant key ring?”

Shaney replied with a confused look written all over her face. “Yes I see them but what do they have to do with anything?”
“They’re yours Shaney…” She waited for Shaney’s reply but there wasn’t one. Shaney was so excited that she had began crying but she was crying tears of joy. She began jumping up and down all over the house. So anxious o get on the road she hoped into her red four door Chevy Cobalt and took off to the store.
The next day at school Shaney was so excited to show her friends what her parents had gotten for her and with it being the last day of school and the day before graduation she drive them around in it. They all road together in Shaney’s car to the mall to other friends houses and wherever else they could think of. The night had to an end and everyone had gotten dropped off at home and Shaney had returned home herself to get her things ready for graduation.
It was graduation day and Shaney was ready to get it over with so she could begin a new chapter in her life. Time had passed and everyone was seated in the stadium where graduation was being held and they were waiting on one person to arrive…Shaney. Her mother had called her to see where she was at and Shaney had told her she was on her way and to tell the people she would be there to give her speech. Shaney really went back home to retrieve the lily’s she had bought for her mother. She had taken the time the night before to hand write the note on the card she was going to give to her.

To my wonderful mother…
I just want to thank you for all you’ve done
for me. You’ve given me life and you are the
reason that I am alive, and for that I thank
you again.

Love Shaney
p.s. tell daddy I love him too WITH ALL
MY HEART 


Those were the last words that anyone will ever hear from Shaney. Unfortunately as she pulled into the packed parking garage a speeding sailor had ran into the side of Shaney sending Shaney flying fifty feet out of the car smashing her head into a lamp post, hitting the pavement and dying her instantly.

Now Shaney is remembered by her excellent leadership skills and her positive outreach to her community and her school on cancer. In honor of her remembrance her graduating class put money together to remember their wonderful and loving friend Shaney “Our Shining Star” J.