Shelby K.Follow

Shelby was my daughter's first and best friend when they both showed up for the first day of kindergarten. In the picture, my daughter Savannah (on the left) stands with Shelby during her last visit to school. They dressed alike and celebrated 100 days of kindergarten.

In December '07, they danced together as Sugar Plum Fairies in their school production of The Nutcracker. After Christmas break, it was noticed that she was having trouble holding her pencil and using scissors. At first, they thought she had hurt her shoulder after a tumble off the trampoline. The CT scan showed the real problem, though. A tumor had developed at the base of her skull and was affecting her right arm and leg. It was difficult to see a little girl struggle when she was running carefree on stage with my daughter just a few weeks earlier.

After surgery at the end of January, a biopsy determined that she had an aggressive Level 4 astrocytoma. She struggled through chemo & radiation therapy for several months but was finally allowed, at the age of six, to become my daughter's guardian angel in September 2008. We are proud and honored to have know Shelby, a brave little girl that we always saw smiling & laughing and still continues to inspire those who remember her. To this day, my daughter will speak of Shelby and how much she misses her.

In her honor, I will be shaving my head March 13th at the Roseville Galleria in coordination with the Keaton Raphael Foundation. Thank you for your prayers and donations.

Allan Berry