Community Corner
$43K Raised For South Jersey Animal Advocate Battling Liver Cancer
"From stopping on the highway to catch a loose dog, to crawling through bushes to save a stray kitten, Shawna is the kindest person."
BLACKWOOD, NJ — Support is pouring in for a South Jersey animal rescue worker who needs surgery to remove a softball-sized tumor from her liver.
The community is rallying around Shawna Donahue, who was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis as a child and is now battling hepatocellular carcinoma at the age of 29. Donahue is the Livesaving Programs Manager at Homeward Bound Pet Adoption Center in Blackwood, Gloucester Township.
Shawna's sister Loren started a GoFundMe on Feb. 3 that has since raised more than $43,000 to help her medical bills. About 440 people have donated as of Monday afternoon, Feb. 13.
Find out what's happening in Gloucester Townshipfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The family has no history of liver cancer, and Shawna "rarely touches alcohol," said Loren on the GoFundMe page.
Shawna began having extreme pains in her right shoulder last October, her sister said. The ulcerative colitis caused "random aches and pains" throughout her life, but this shoulder pain was much more serious, Loren said.
Find out what's happening in Gloucester Townshipfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Multiple doctors could not pinpoint an issue with Shawna's shoulder, though she went to the emergency room several times, said Loren. In mid-January, Shawna went to the emergency room with stabbing stomach pain and a fever, and it was then doctors found the massive tumor in and around her liver — along with three "other unknown cysts" on her kidneys in pancreas, said Loren.
Loren described her sister as a passionate animal rescue worker with "a beautiful soul and energy."
"From stopping on the highway to catch a loose dog, to crawling through bushes to save a stray kitten, Shawna is the kindest person you will meet," Loren wrote. "Her caring nature is probably how she ended up with nine animals in her home today."
Click here to access the Donahue family's fundraiser for Shawna's medical care.
Homeward Bound Pet Adoption Center serves Camden County and the surrounding region, with the mission to end animal homelessness in the county "through community awareness and responsible leadership." It is located at 125 County House Road, Blackwood NJ 08012
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