Shayla Fund
The Fund for Student-Athletes Affected by Cancer

In less than a week, 16 year old Shayla Holwegner's life was turned upside down. Shayla is from Yakima, Washington and is a sophomore at Eisenhower High School, where she stars on the varsity volleyball team. Shayla also plays club volleyball for the Eisenhower Spikers, a team based out of the high school.

On Sunday, February 25th, 2007, Shayla was playing in a volleyball tournament in Pasco, where to everyone's shock, she suffered a severe fracture to her femur. She was wheeled off the court by the medicsÊand taken to Our Lady of the Lourdes Hospital in Pasco. After waiting most of the afternoon, Shayla was finally admitted into surgery later that day.

After the surgery everyone was fairly optimistic about Shayla's recovery, but there were still a few test results that hadn't come back yet dealing with some unknown tissue in Shayla's leg. Shayla and her family left the Pasco hospital on Tuesday, and on ThursdayÊthe hospital called with some very difficult news. Cancerous cells had been found in Shayla's leg. On Friday of the same week (March 2nd), Children's Hospital confirmed the tests:

Shayla has Osteosarcoma, a bone cancer.

There are only 250 cases of this type of bone cancer in the U.S. for Shayla's age group, but fortunately the Holwegner's have been very lucky with their medical care and are working with the best doctors in the country.

Shayla's family and everyone around Shayla on her club team and her friends at school have been deeply affected by this sad news. She is loved by everyone she knows, people gravitate toward her, and she has an extremely caring and open personality. Shayla started chemotherapy on Wednesday march 7th, just 10 days after she broke her leg. The chemo will continue for 8 months, and Shayla and her family have been required to move to Seattle, where they will be living at the Ronald McDonald House for Charity during this time. In just five days Shayla and her family have had to change their entire lives.

This has been extremely difficult for everyone involved. Her entire team has rallied to help Shayla, her family, and those like her. We have started a "Shayla Fund," for her and her family. We ask you to look within yourselves, and try to relate to Shayla and the Holwegner's.Ê On behalf of the Shayla Fund we are accepting donations in honor of brave, young, Shayla.

If you would like to make any kind of donation to Shayla and her family, please contact Maggie Olson, her Club Volleyball coach at (425) 894-6443 OR send a check made out to "The Shayla Fund" to:

1211 S. 45th Ave.
Yakima, WA 98908

You can also make a donation at any Washington Mutual Bank Under the Name Shayla Holwegner "The Shayla Fund"