Community invited to ‘Shoot for a Cure’ games in support of Carl Shedivy
During his bone marrow transplant, Carl Shedivy, a Prairie du Chien native, received new stem cells, which flowed through an IV into his body. Everything went according to plan during his November transplant, but he still has a long road ahead of him. Carl is pictured with his wife, Denise, and children, Dan and Elise, the day of the transplant. (Submitted photo)
By Correne Martin
The Prairie du Chien High School boys and girls basketball teams are gearing up to Shoot for a Cure on Saturday, Jan. 31 and create greater leukemia awareness in honor of one of Prairie du Chien’s own, Carl Shedivy.
Shedivy, a 1979 graduate of Prairie du Chien and a member of the school’s all-athlete Hall of Fame, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in July of 2014. He lives in La Crosse with his wife Denise (Schauff, also a Prairie du Chien native), and works as an engineer for Trane. He has received a bone marrow transplant and is working toward recovery.
“He’s at day 68. We’re hoping he can make it to day 100,” stated his sister-in-law Paula Shedivy, girls basketball coach and PdC teacher. “He is making some strides. He’s really hoping to make the games on the 31st.”
The Blackhawk basketball teams will compete against Barneveld, beginning at 11:30 a.m. with the girls junior varsity, followed by the boys varsity reserve around 1 p.m., the girls varsity about 2:30 p.m., and the boys varsity about 4 p.m.
The players, coaches and families encourage all community members to spend the day at the high school as various fundraising activities will help support Carl and also benefit the Leukemia Research Foundation and Be The Match, a registry for people willing to donate stem cells for others with blood diseases and blood cancers.
Throughout the games, a number of fundraisers will take place, including a bake sale, basket raffles, raffle drawings, bracelet sales and more. Concessions will be provided by the booster club all day as well.
Those who have purchased Shoot for a Cure/Shedivy Strong T-shirts are encouraged to wear them Saturday. Paula said 230 shirts were pre-sold, but some will be thrown into the crowd throughout the day as well.
Anyone attending will be encouraged to register at bethematch.org to be a donor.
“It’s simple. You answer some questions online, you get a kit in the mail, you swab your cheek and you send it back,” Paula said.
Carl and his family, which includes adult children Dan and Elise, are grateful for the database of potential donors Be The Match provides. Even though Carl has nine siblings, unbelievably, none of them was a match to donate the bone marrow that would give him the best chance for a cure. So, by connecting with Be The Match, within just a few months, his donor was determined halfway around the world, in Germany.
Following the donor’s transplant, the stem cells were flown immediately to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., where Carl awaited them. Since undergoing his bone marrow transplant in November, his body has been working to accept the new stem cells. Interestingly, Carl’s blood type will actually change to the donor’s throughout the process.
Carl’s cancer is in full remission. If the transplant is deemed successful, by day 100, doctors say he has a 40 to 50 percent chance of a cure.
Anyone interested in getting on the bone marrow donor registry should go to www.bethematch.org. They’re especially looking for people 18-44 years old.
