Shelly’s Story: Finding Strength in the Unexpected

Shelly, from the quiet coastal town of Long Beach, WA, never expected that a routine CT

scan for an infection in December 2023 would change everything. That scan revealed

something far more serious: a tumor. It took a month of tests, worry, and waiting—her

biopsy was even sent to Fred Hutch—before doctors confirmed it was liposarcoma, a rare

form of cancer.

Cancer wasn’t unfamiliar territory for Shelly. Both of her parents had been diagnosed at age

56, and coincidentally, so was she. But even after undergoing genetic testing, no hereditary

link could be found.

Shelly made the decision to move to Seattle for treatment, while her husband made regular

trips back and forth to be by her side. Her constant companion, however, was her 70-pound

support dog, Pooky, who stayed faithfully by her through it all.

She underwent 25 rounds of proton radiation therapy, followed by surgery to remove a 10

cm tumor from her pelvic floor, tucked deep inside her left hip bone. The surgery wasn’t

without lasting effects—a nicked nerve now means she walks with a cane. But Shelly’s not

one to dwell on the negatives. She is grateful to be walking, and she’s working hard in

physical therapy to keep improving.

Throughout her journey, Shelly's support system rallied around her in the most

heartwarming ways. Her brother, all the way in California, had purple shirts made for family

and friends—Shelly’s signature color. “I’m a purple person,” she shares.

For Shelly, this journey has been as much about emotional strength as physical healing.

“You have to want to fight,” she says. “Go into it with a positive attitude.” She wants others

going through similar experiences to know they’re not alone. She feels the care team and

family support made all the difference.

Though life after cancer isn’t exactly the same, Shelly is finding her new normal one step at a

time. She's now nine months cancer-free, and while she continues to go in for scans every

three months to keep a close eye on things, she’s grateful for every clear result. “There is a

light at the end of the tunnel,” she says. And Shelly is walking toward it—cane, Pooky, and

purple pride in hand.