Shawny Smith was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer just three weeks ago — and the 10-year-old boy from Tiverton, Rhode Island got to thinking about his wishes.
Soon,Super Shawny’s BucketListwas created on GoFundMe, listing activities and trips that would allow Shawny to accomplish as much as possible in the coming weeks and months.
“It was just the best,” Shawny tells PEOPLE of his visit. “Amazing.”
And that wasn’t all — in addition to the tour, Shawny received a “really cool” welcome video made just for him from the man behindSloGoMan, his favorite YouTube channel.
Shawny Smith and SloGoMan.YouTube Spaces
“We thought it’d be really spectacular to have his favorite YouTube creator officially welcome him to the family,” Lauren Verrusio, YouTube’s head of creator and consumer communications, says of SloGoMan’s message.
“This was perfect for them because they absolutely love YouTube,” Velozo says of her kids. “And the little sisters love it too, so it’s always, they can watch an hour together and giggle. This was a cool thing for them to be able to do together because they love it so much.”
Shawny Smith (C) with sister Chloe Smith (L) and football coach Josh Barbosa (R).YouTube Spaces
The visit was arranged with help fromGoFundMe, where Shawny’s Bucket List has been raising money (so far more than $43,000) to help check items off his list.
Shawny was taken to the hospital on Dec. 28, and on Jan. 8 was diagnosed with Gliomatosis Cerebri, a form of brain cancer with a survival rate of about 5 percent, according toSt. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.
Though he will soon start radiation treatment, the disease is often resistant to treatment, and Shawny’s tumor is too large for him to be a candidate for surgery.
Despite his diagnosis, Shawny found inspiration in a popular YouTube video called“Tour the States,”which features an artist drawing a map of the country to accompany a song that mentions special things to do in each state.
Shawny Smith.YouTube Spaces
“That song has always kind of put him on that path,” Velozo says. “He kept saying how cool it would be to actually do those things kind of in his own way.”
Much of the organizing has been left to Shawny’s youth football coach Josh Barbosa, who says he stepped in to take the reins “as soon as [Shawny] told [Monica] that he wanted her to be just mom.”
Shawny Smith with his family and friends, including mom Monica Velozo, who stands behind him.YouTube Spaces
So far, Shawny has alreadyenjoyed a trip to Philadelphia, where he not only added a puppy named Philly to the family, but got a tour of Lincoln Financial Field, where theEaglesplay, and met defensive tackle Fletcher Cox, his favorite player.
“It’s been a bit overwhelming, but in a good way in that sense because it keeps his spirits up. He reads a lot of the positive messages that are out there and it kind of helps him in that sense,” says Velozo. “He’s having fun, he’s just enjoying every little bit.”
YouTube Spaces
Up next for Shawny is a brief visit to Maryland to visit some family members, and then a trip to Washington, D.C. from Feb. 4-6.
In the nation’s capital, he’ll get to visit the pandas at the National Zoo and will even get a private tour of the White House — and he’s got some ideas as to how he wants the visit to go.
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“I’m gonna go there, I’m gonna sit in the chair, and I’m gonna put my feet up on [PresidentDonald Trump’s] desk and I’m gonna say, ‘You’re fired!’” Shawny explains.
“I can’t imagine trying to do this without his team,” Velozo says. “He has a really cool team of super Avengers behind him. That’s honestly been the best part about the outreach, is I’ve gotten to be mom.”
source: people.com
