Donations sought for Scranton man fighting brain cancer
May 26—Who: Shane Conway's family knows him as a funny, caring and fun-loving guy. The son of Karin and Kevin Conway, he attended Bishop Hannon High School, Keystone College and Penn State University in State College and works for UPS as a delivery driver. He now lives in Scranton's Minooka section with his wife, the former Jessica Voldenberg, and their 1-year-old daughter, Caroline.
What: The last few weeks have turned that life on its head, though. Just five days after he turned 33, Conway was diagnosed with cancer. He developed severe headaches in April, and tests revealed he had a large mass in his brain that turned out to be oligodendroglioma, a form of brain cancer. After transferring to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Conway underwent three brain surgeries in a week: the first to remove half of the mass followed by an emergency surgery to relieve pressure on his brain after it began to swell. Doctors then removed more of the mass during a third surgery.
His wife and parents accompanied him to Penn while Caroline stayed in Scranton with other family members, and while Conway was in the ICU, he and Voldenberg were married over Zoom in a ceremony attended by immediate family. He then returned to Scranton and underwent additional therapy at Allied Services for a week.
Why: Conway and his family work to remain positive, focus on his strength and work to fight the cancer, and "even through his month-long hospitalization and surgeries, he was always sure to crack a joke to lighten the mood," said his sister-in-law, Amy Kordish. They have a long road of them, however, she added. Conway will be unable to return to work in the near future and will soon start radiation therapy at Penn followed by chemotherapy. His wife and parents plan to join him, and donations will help Conway and his family cover medical, travel, household and other expenses.
How: The public can donate through a GoFundMe page, "#StandwithShane," or mail donations to Shane Conway Recovery Fund, P.O. Box 3482, Scranton, PA 18505.
In her own words: "Shane is already overwhelmed with the outpouring of love and support he and his family have received." — Amy Kordish, sister-in-law
Contact the writer: cwest@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5107; @cheaneywest on Twitter
