WWE Superstar John Cena Pays Video Tribute To Brookline Doctor

BROOKLINE, MA — Dr. Evan Shannon doesn’t consider himself the biggest of professional wrestling fans. But the 32-year-old Brookline native and internal medicine specialist who has worked at Boston’s Brigham And Women’s Hospital since 2015 knows enough of John Cena’s work both inside the ring and as an actor to realize that when Cena pays tribute to Shannon’s front line work, it’s a pretty big deal.

Last week, Cena – a Massachusetts native – highlighted Shannon’s work during a 38-second video that included the former World Wrestling Entertainment champion wearing a T-shirt that included Shannon’s photo. The video tribute is part of “The Real Heroes Project”, which is a collaborative effort of sports leagues around the country.

“Dr. Evan Shannon is unbelievably brave and selfless,” Cena says in the video. “Doc, from me to you, you’re a real hero.”

Shannon’s first exposure to pro wrestling came through his grandmother, Roger Mae, who would watch wrestling with Shannon during visits to Massachusetts in the 1990s. Although his parents typically limited how much television he could watch growing up, Shannon’s grandmother’s annual visits loosened up the regulations.

Despite having limited exposure to wrestling, however, Shannon said he was touched by the genuine nature of Cena’s video message after Shannon was nominated by a friend working in public relations to be the subject of one of the video tributes. And even though he knew the video was coming, Shannon - who now lives in Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood – admits he wasn't completely prepared for the way Cena's message was delivered.

“I thought it was really beautiful,” Shannon told Patch on Wednesday. “You could just really tell that he appreciated the work that myself, my colleagues and other frontline workers have been doing during these crazy times. I was really moved…I really felt like he was thanking me personally.”

Shannon watched the video with his 10-month-old daughter in his lap as Cena told viewers how little time Shannon has with his family as he and his colleagues continue to work against the spread of the coronavirus. During a stretch that has been especially busy as Shannon and his colleagues continue to treat COVID-19 patients, the video, he said, is a way of making him feel appreciated.

While recent months have placed a brighter spotlight on the work of healthcare workers and other essential front-line employees, Shannon said that the extra attention that has been placed on his work – sometimes by celebrities – has helped raise awareness of the daily efforts that physicians, nurses and other workers put in on a daily basis.

“In some ways, my job is the same as it’s always been – taking care of sick people at a time when they need to be hospitalized – and so I go to work and, in some ways, behave and act the way I always do,” Shannon said. “I guess in some ways, it feels good to have everybody recognize the hard work we do every day.”

Shannon characterizes their current work experience as a “chaotic couple of months” when shifts have been longer and workloads have been heavier, Shannon said. While he said Boston has had the luxury of having a little more preparation time to deal with the coronavirus as opposed to places like New York, the stress of extra shifts and the number of patients dealing with COVID-19 has made Shannon’s work environment even more intense.

Shannon credits the way Brigham and Women’s Hospital and its partner system prepared frontline workers for what was coming as the virus continued to spread. Yet, he said each day brings new challenges with the way he and his colleagues deal with and treat the virus, which makes the thankfulness of the public even more appreciated in the form of signs in the windows and meals that have been delivered.

“It’s unlike anything any of us have ever experienced,” Shannon said, adding, “(But) those little gestures of support really help to keep us going and help me bring the same degree of energy and readiness to take care of these patients on a daily basis.”