Thank you!

About The Benefit - Jeanne Shippey

Jeanne is a person who spent her life caring for other people. In fact, she raised six kids of her own, and helped bring up her nephews. She also lived with and cared for her own mother, who lived to the age of 101! When her mother was 100, Jeanne rounded up the entire family, from around the United States, and brought them together for a family reunion and birthday party.

During her life, Jeanne also manged to care for her husband, Carl, who she nursed until his death of brain cancer. She has always taken in family members and friends through-out their health crises, whether it was the tragic illness of AIDS or something as benign as a flu. And, throughout, Jeanne not only kept a laugh ready, and a smile on her face, but managed to work as a waitress- often putting in long hours, just to make ends meet.

In July, 2007, Jeanne Shippey was diagnosed with stage four cancer in her lungs and lymphnodes. Instead of complaining about her condition, and resigning to the idea that cancer was going to defeat her, Jeanne went right back to work for her long-time employer, Bickford's, where she was waitressing- only four days after her lymph biopsy! With a smile on her face, and a pep in her step, she spent the day at work letting people know about the strange lump left in her neck from the experience. She wanted to make sure her "regulars" got great service during the "Sunday Brunch Rush"! That's just the kind of person Jeanne is.

Jeanne was excited to learn that the show is a benefit for The Jimmy Fund. During the first few weeks of her illness, she discovered that her own sister Marie also faced a cancer battle. Marie has been dealing with Breast Cancer and had a tumor removed from her brain in recent months. Because Jeanne's unaware that the benefit is in her honor, she's been asking her niece to make the night special for Marie. That's how kind Jeannie is. Even though she is facing her own radiation and chemotherapy, she is still finding ways to put another person's feelings ahead of her own.

One of the wonderful traits she has is her ability to keep her sense of humor through anything. In fact, when she learned that her niece was returning to Boston to do a comedy show in her honor, her response was "Make sure you wait until I'm bald so there's something to laugh about!"

Jeanne also wants people to be aware that illnesses, like cancer, AIDS, heart disease aren't something to hide from, and should inspire conversation. She said she wanted to have people talk to her about her illness rather than hide from it. That's why she was looking forward to being "hairless". She said, "That way people will look at me, know it's cancer, and then I can answer questions."

And, family is very important to her. She's stood by so many others when they were very sick, or on death's door. She states, "I know there are going to be people here for me. I'm seeing it already. If I'm in the bathroom, and throwing up, people will be here. It's my turn now, and I see that. I will get through this because I have everyone who loves me who won't let me go through this alone."

She's right. We won't. Maybe you have an Aunt Jeannie you'd like to help, too. If you do, please join us in our evening at The Comedy Connecton. Or Donate to The Jimmy Fund via this website.

Or, if you don't have an Aunt Jeannie, and want to help out ours, you can do that too. Donate to our Aunt Jeanne's care here. Thank you so much for your support. (Picture coming soon!)

Jeanne Update- Oct 1- Chemotherapy sessions are going great, and her tumors are SHRINKING!!